The Green Door Studio
Analogue and digital recording studio in the West of Glasgow
News
June 2021
Hi everyone
It has been a LONG time since we made an update. We have spent most of the pandemic closed but we're now open again in a semi-regular fashion, and hoping this time for good. Unfortunately for us, the way the studio operates isn't very covid proof, our way of working particularly flies in the face of social distancing rules. However over the last while we have had a few projects on the go we hope to share with you over the next few weeks.
Firstly we'd love to share is a compilation we released in May. A bumper compilation of 40 tracks featuring music from artists who have booked in and produce from our education courses. Thank you to all the artists for their contributions and support, and to Creative Scotland/Youth Music initiative for their continued support.
Proceeds will be split between building toilets in Tafi Atome Volta region Ghana and Positive Action in Housing Glasgow.
We are very happy to say our diary is more or less full until September - please drop an email if you're interested in booking in!
Thanks and speak soon.
April 2020
Hello everyone
Writing in isolation to you now when the studio has been shut under government recommendations for a couple of weeks now. I think I speak for us both that we're missing the daily interaction with people that we've became accustomed to. 2020 has already been very good to us, a massive thank you to everyone that's been in. We hit the ground running at the start the year recording an album with the amazing Comfort, finished a live album with Callum Easter (which involved a very fun listening party), worked on a single with LYLO, plus so much more we'll go in depth about bellow.
Now we've unfortunately had to put the breaks on things, it's a frustrating but necessary period for everyone, we're very much looking forward to continuing another fantastic EP from Molly Linen, a Hairband album that is shaping into something really special and rebooking all our postponements over the next few months.
We have for the moment channeled most of our energy into seeking avenues of funding to help us weather the storm and allow the opportunity to get right back in to working as soon as it is safe for us to do so. We are also exploring the medium of live streaming and the ways we can mix from the studio remotely. More on that as we get it.
Right before 'the event' we had the opportunity to make a mix for Clyde Built Radio! By way of an introduction to those uninitiated, we decided to make a playlist based only on the CD's that were handed out over the years at our birthday parties. We only scraped the surface with our hour, hopefully we'll be back with more for you soon. In the meantime you can listen back here as well as a plethora of amazing stuff. Just this weekend saw a counterflows special with mixes from GLARC, Still House Plants and Comfort. This week also has Free Love with an hour of music every day - full list of things here
Hopefully our next correspondence things will be looking a little brighter. In the meantime Here's a little more of a comprehensive than usual of releases from the studio. Keep safe, look out for one another and don't bloody go outside unless you have to xoxox
New Releases
At the end of the year it was a delight to have back to the studio sonic chefs Junto Club. The hard to follow 'Oven Fresh Electronic Music' recipe has been loving served up by Optimo Music's Digital division.
No more cooking puns, promise... I wholeheartedly hope to see that artwork on a t shirt near you in the future. Taste it here.
Sorry.
The brilliant Brigid Mae Power will release her third album Head Above The Water through Fire Records on June 5th.
The album was recorded with Sam engineering, Alasdair Roberts co-producing alongside Power and Peter Broderick. Quite a team if I do say so.
Ways to find the album here
For a bit of what's to come check out Brigid's new video and 2nd single. here
Out of the darkness and into the light! Pleasure Pool step forward. Night Scars EP out now with Optimo Digital Danceforce.
They say - “8 am. Yellow on wood. In the moist, the dry fantasises. Blue mood, contemplative. Bass still vibrates, vibrates through the temples. I try to be tired, tried, but who needs sleep tonight? Way to awake to dream, too dreamy to sleep. Other days are starting, good one. Another bit of yellow, air, frantic heart. Beat. Beaten by the night, beaten by the day. Red. Bed? Not yet. On to green, even if it’s grey. There’s always time to play."
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Glasgow troops Dom Jolly dropped in for a weekend the studio at the end of last year to record their 1st album. 12 tracks (and mixed) in two days! Not bad going...
Released promptly for you to enjoy while we're on lockdown. Hope to see a release in some physical guise in the future too. This was great fun to make with amazing people, the album can be found here - it's called 'Love' and also features fantastic artwork by Liv Fontaine.
Bird of Paradise is out now. It's the latest single from Asthmatic Harp. Recorded and Produced by Asthmatic Harp and mixed by Sam at Green Door.
"Bird Of Paradise features a whole range of instruments, from the autoharp and clarinet to more traditional synths and acoustic guitar, but all of this gives Hannah's evocative voice space to take centre stage, the subtle intonation of her voice capturing the emotion of the lyrics where she asks "what is this thing called spring?" as a metaphor for the start of a romance and the questions that come with it in the second half of the song."
Listen here.
Scorching the scene newcomers Goth GF are soon to drop their debut EP 'Spooky Bitch' and are giving you a flavour of what's to come on fundraiser album Music From Venues. A collection of 13 tracks made by staff members from across venues: the 78, Stereo, Mono, The Flying Duck, Harmonium and the Old Hairdressers, ranging in different styles from post-punk to folk via doom and techno. There's something for everyone here, and if you don't find anything well I guess music just isn't your bag...
‘’High quality business’’ - Andrew Weatherall
Emerging once more to grace the world of dance music with his luxury laden offerings, Paradise Palms Records presents the next dastardly release from Edinburgh’s Jacuzzi General.
With excellent artwork by Xavier Schipani.
IKEAAA!
Sound of the Summer is here. We had a very fun day mixing two songs with Wet Look, the first of which UV Ray can be found now on all the usual spots.
Featuring vocals recorded using the speech part of Apple earbuds (this is not a sponsored endorsement). Very much looking forward to hearing more of Wet Look after this first offering.
Lastly (but definitely not leastly...) something fresh out today (April 10th) The first single Float by Barrie-James. We had a tremendous time working with Barrie mixing and we're super pleased with the results. The album Psychedelic Soup is out on vinyl very soon.
Ronnie Rocket video featuring ar Sam.
February 2020
We have certainly passed the point to happy new year's wishes... happy new year everyone. First of all, our love to everyone who came to our Christmas Party at the Flying Duck and to Double Discone, Molly Linen, L, Grim Lusk and Pleasure Pool for playing! The transition into this new decade has been an extremely productive one with more people than I would care to list all been through the door in the last couple of months. We'll have lots to share with you very soon.
Last night was the launch of a new local radio station in the East of Glasgow Clyde Built Radio. Held at the Barrowland Ballroom with brilliant sets by Lady Neptune, Grim Lusk and LAPS. We'll look forward to seeing the station's development over the coming months and wish them all the best.
On the night free Cassettes we're being given away featuring tonnes of amazing locals and hand made artwork by Raissa Pardini. I'm sure a digital copy will be floating about somewhere...
This month we also celebrated the launch of album Youth Stand United on Optimo Music. Following up Optimo’s Autonomous Africa imprint release of 2015’s Youth Stand Up! — the project which oversaw the harmonious musical symbiosis of young musicians from Belize, Ghana and Glasgow — global collective Youth Stand Up return with its sequel, Youth Stand United.
For background on the project you can read an interview with Green Door's Emily Evans and JD Twitch here.
Lastly I'd like to acknowledge that 2019 has been good to us and that it's only with your support that all of this is possible, for that we're are eternally grateful. This month we'll be making some essential upgrades at the studio to guarantee our future stability and prosperity long into the 20's. Expect to see some music gear, technology and mics making it's way into our equipment list in the coming weeks.
Winter 2019
The nights have drawn in and winter is now upon us, thankfully the studio is a warm and welcoming. Its been a busy few months. We have also acquired a new bit of outboard a vintage Klark Technic DNS780 Digital Reverb to compliment our analogue reverbs and delays. Here is a short video of it in conversation with a space echoe.
Also a few months ago we hosted a giant Marimba which was used for a project entitled Second Citizen that was originally part of the Dear Europe event, a night of theatre and art curated by NTS as a creative response to Brexit.The final piece involved electronics by Scott Twynholme and the Marimba is performed by Angus Farquhar and Cameron Sinclair.
Other projects have included Remixes Dinky Di and Odyssey by Al Kent, band sessions with Port Sulphur, Ace City Racers, Middle Class Guilt, The Kriss Tylmeth Experience, Junto Club, Richard Youngs, Anarchy 99,Pot Nudos, The Martial Arts, Peplo, Cheap Teeth, Michael Bell and Barrie James and also we were very privileged spent to be able to spend a few days digitising and working on the original 1 inch 8track multi tracks for the Groundhogs classic 1971 LP split.
New Releases
Richards Youngs New LP New World Memory is available on No Fans Records as both a download and on limited edition vinyl with hand printed sleeves.You can order a copy here.
https://nofansrecords.bandcamp.com/album/new-world-memory
In 2015, Optimo’s Autonomous Africa label released Youth Stand Up!, a triangular recording project hatched at Glasgow’s Green Door Studio that brought together young musicians from Belize, Ghana and Glasgow for ten tracks of cross-cultural collaboration. The result was an infectious cocktail of traditional Caribbean and West African rhythms, hip hop, highlife and Glaswegian post-punk, featuring contributions from Optimo Music regulars Golden Teacher and Whilst, among others.
The proceeds from that project went directly back to the youth groups in Ghana and Belize, helping the musicians from Ghana’s Tafi Cultural Institute build a recording studio and performance space in their village.
Two years later, a grant from Creative Scotland’s Open Fund spawned the sequel to Youth Stand Up!: Youth Stand United, recorded both at Green Door and at TCI’s new studio in Ghana (with Golden Teacher’s Laurie Pitt at the controls), and mixed by Green Door’s Stuart and Emily Evans.
Youth Stand United features backing tracks contributed by members of Golden Teacher, Pu$$y Mothers, Whilst, Kaputt, and Sordid Sound System, with vocals provided by the musicians from TCI. Over 6 songs, it oscillates from the left-field disco of Diloeshutubui to the Juju-electro odyssey of Gidi to the Joe-Meek-meets-William Onyeabor space age gospel pop of Nobody Knows.
Proceeds from Youth Stand United will go towards a scholarship fund for musicians from Tafi Atome, Ghana.
Gold Wave Remixed by Al Kent, we transferred and remixed of 16-track tape.
'A few years ago I stumbled across these amazing recordings by Waq Takahashi - disco tracks, recorded properly, with musicians and stuff. I was pretty blown away with them. So I asked if I could remix some. Which I did. Then I lost the files. Then I forgot. Then I did other stuff. Then I found one of the sessions I'd been working on by complete accident. And I forgot how good this stuff is. So I finished it. Went to tape. The lot. And now it's coming out on a limited edition 12" single.'
You can listen on Al Kents website here http://www.alkent.co.uk/
Double Discone Release there second EP this year entitled 'Green Door' and was recorded at the Green Door last year.You can listen here.In thier own words 'a departure from our usual cosmic disco but just as hot'...
Very, very fresh from New Year (and possibly still hung over)we had in outliers Moskow Mule to record a new single Planeta Opic. Big song, catch them filling sweaty clubs near you.
cover by the magnificent artist Kelsey Black
2019
Hello everyone
I hope all is well.
In the the past few months we have been finishing off the last of our Sonic Youths and Supergroups courses for this year. Thank you to all who have participated and given us your time, attention and energy. And to all the groups for bringing in their fantastic music! We hope to be celebrating everyone's creative endeavours soon, more on that later.
If you're interested in our courses keep an eye our for further information in the coming months.
Recently we've been fortunate to have a very enjoyable summer full of music (not accepting summer being quite over yet) working on music with Richard Youngs,Laura St. Jude, Pleasure Pool, Kieran Webster,Las Acuarellas, Neuro Trash, Molly Linen,Ace City Racers, The Leather Corridor,Pot Nudos,Casual Drag, Brigid Mae Power, Silverthing, Bluebirds, Port Sulphur, Frankies Evil Party, Avocet, Barrie James,Jacuzzi General, The Hyper Reel,Al Kent (Million Dollar Disco),Wyld... the list goes on. We can't wait to share what we've been up to.
We also had the privilege of spending a day with Turner Prize winner Charlotte Prodger working on part of the sound track for her film SaF50 that was part of the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (image below)
Also over summer we had a quick voice over session (we can do those) with film maker and artist Jen Martin and visual artist Ashanti Harris working on their exhibition at the CCA - Sonic Séance: The Gathering (Image bellow)
Finally, this month was the announcement of the SAY Award (Scottish Album of the Year), a great reminder of the strength and diversity of music being produced out of Scotland over the last 12 Months. Especially wonderful to see making the shortlist Free Love going from strength to strength, C Duncan (with his fantastic band we had the pleasure of spending a week with last year) and of course to the winner Auntie Flo!
New Releases
Glasgow sophisti-boys The Lawnmower were in at the start of the year polishing of a very fresh EP - the first track of which can be streamed here
Supergroups alumni Double Discone have released a dancefloor ready new EP. The first track of which produced at home and the second here at the studio.
Bluebird have released their debut album! Where the Rain Gets In.
One of the first sessions worked on by Ronan, Bluebirds have crafted a wonderful flowing record F.F.O. reverb, distortion and getting shouted at.
The Martial Arts return from orbit after a very long hiatus with this new release on Last Night From Glasgow.
We are planning something big to see out the end of the year, can't wait to share it all with you. Until then we'll leave you with the new Molly Linen video in promotion of their debut ep out now! Spot the Callum Easter cameo.
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Good day
Since Easter we have been having been busy with all things educational - First off with our Supergroups panel discussion, featuring Vic Galloway (BBC SCOTLAND), Michael Kasparis (NIGHT SCHOOL),Brian Reynolds (423 PRESENTS), Jennifer Laidler (MUSICIANS UNION) and Ian Crawford (FREAKENDER/EL RANCHO).
The panel presented some excellent insights and we had a great time hosting, thanks to everyone who came down!
We have also been very busy with our Sonic Youths courses with a new group beginning this week, we're privileged to have such fantastic groups of people from such a wide ranges of musical backgrounds, super excited to continue on with our new group.
Now for some recent releases...
Recent releases
At the end of 2018 we had the joy of hosting Molly Linen and her band in the studio, knowing them for their great live sets it was a pleasure to hear them translated into recordings. Released on the currently unstoppable Lost Map Records (Rozi Plain, Callum Easter, Savage Mansion) Molly's first single can be found here
Personal faves Cheap Teeth are back with a new single Ageless (Half The Devil) some serious mid 70s New York vibes and some even more serious melodies, what's not to like!
Honourable mention also to a superb artwork (Yeeha)
Middle Class Guilt after bouncing around Glasgow playing many a hot and sweaty (possibly drunken) show have dropped their hot debut tracks, find them in a venue near you! Song For Stella/The Man Who Knew The Origin
Brilliant artwork by our friend Kelsey Black
Huntleys and Palmers are back with another heavyweight compilation (56 tracks!)
This is their 5th edition and it features many friends and tracks we have been working on, too much great stuff to mention specifically - I haven't heard of a lot of work on here and I'm seriously looking forward to getting to know it.
A beautiful reminder of Glasgow's diversity of sounds, depth of talent and it's probably not as much of a village as it can feel at times.
It is difficult to articulate in a fleeting blogspot the impact and importance of this song to me and I'm sure countless others too.
Sing Me To Sleep and I've Been Watching You From My Window are songs written by our friends, inspirations and heroes Laura and Dale Barclay.
Follow the link and buy a copy.
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Hello, and Happy Easter.
We hope you're enjoying the long overdue change in weather. We've been locked away (occasionally staring out the window) working on some fabulous new music we can't wait to share with you.
First off in other media, before Christmas we worked with a great team of people on a short video documentary about the studio and some of the people we have been working with on our educational courses past and present (more info about these in Workshops).
There is also a mix around this for NTS that can be found also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBvPD8ZjCPM
Featuring some old and some new from Womansaid, Grim Lusk, Double Discone, Free Love, Golden Teacher and a lot more.
Recent releases
A swift new release for us at the start of the year
has been Leeds guitar possessors MUSH with their first EP
Induction Party being released with Memphis Industries.
Very pleased to have been a part of making this record.
Also,keeping it in the Glasgow family the magnificent
artwork for this is by the wonderful Raissa Pardini.
We recently had the pleasure of working with one of our favourite label's new releases GLARC's - LUKI - a wonderfully talented vocalist exploring the far reaches of her voice across the background of beautifully orchestrated Piano with engaging narrative lyrics, a real favourite of ours from the last 12 months.
Recent frequent flyers at the Green Door Dimanti Vēnās have released their second EP recorded here
Aptly named 'EP2' we are big advocates of such succinctness!
Now to an album releases,I love an album release but that seems to go against the current trends, if you have an album to be made - we want to hear it. No binge watching Netflix serials for us.
Burt Paw releases (a personal favourite title)Lunar Vortex Incantation, best described by Burnt Paw
himself to give you a best first impression.
"born on the side of a hilltop under
a ruined tower below a silver crescent."
https://burntpaw.bandcamp.com/
RF
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A Happy New Year its been a busy few months so will be updating the site over the next week, once again we've had a fantastic and diverse array of artist through the doors including Helicon, Nasari, Womensaid, Richard Youngs, Turner Prize Winner Charlotte Prodger, National Bedtime, Brooklyns Mike Storey, Real Life Entertainment, Pleasure Pool, The Lawnmower,Silverthing, Auntie Flo, Double Discone, Michael Steele, Ace City Racers, Hunkybug, Moonsoup, Brian Macdade and this week we have sessions running all week, next available spaces are in March.We are in the process of completing the courses but will have more information on upcoming courses hopefully within the next month.
SJS.
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2018
Hello, welcome to the new website. As the year is drawing to a close we'd like to extend a massive thank you to everyone that has been in the studio entrusting us with their amazing work. As everyone is ever having to further tighten their belts in the current climate we greatly appreciate everyone who spends their hard earned cash with us. Keep buying music (when you can) and support each other!
This year we've been working on releases / seen records released by Pussy Mothers (Optimo Music), Womens Said (Optimo Music), Total Leatherette, Home$lice, Still House Plants, Dale Barclay and Laura St Jude (Amazing Snakeheads/And Yet It Moves), Alasdair Roberts (Drag City), Richard Youngs, Amour, Bluebirds, Chump, West Princes, Sweaty Palms, Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers (Optimo Music) The Palmiros, Ace City Racers, Pleasure Pool,Double Discone, The Lawnmower, Kaputt,The Vignettes, Cheap Teeth, Rapid Tan, Faiides, Molly Linen, Andrew Pattie, GLARC,Natalie Pryce, Creeping Bent's Port Sulphur (featuring Vic Goddard, Davey Henderson and Alan Vega of Suicide), The Hyper Reel, Natalie Pryce, Silverthing, Josie Queenie, Hairband, Tongue Trap and many many more than I have time to mention.
On the Mastering front we're now pleased to offer audio restoration having expanded our digital capability to offer the latest restoration and mastering software, mastering wise and have currently been working on The Pop Groups Gareth Sagers latest LP along with releases from Port Sulphur, Fanella, The Hyper Reel, The Eye's of Others (Remixes by Andrew Weatherall), Allie Ormston, and LPs for Tin Angel Records, Paradise Palms Records, Okarina Records, Earth Records, and many more.
Still House Plants are back and this time have released their debut LP
Long Play. Recorded back in April this has definitely been an outlier
in its originality, innovative approach and downright really good songs.
A beautifully packaged record to boot its out on Bison Records and a
real highlight for 2018.
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At the start of the year we were very pleased to have KAPUTT in the studio recording a couple of singles with us - Highlight! and Suspectette
- unbelievably catchy, brilliantly crafted songs and by lovely people too!
They gig lots so go see them
Released on cassette on Fuzzkill Records
Recent releases
Another band born from the melting pot of talent that is Glasgow Rowan, Simone, Stephi,Emma and Rachel of Hairband have released their self titled debut EP. Also just off the tourbus from Jaunting around the UK with 'Sleaford Mods' of all folk!
Something a bit more out of the ordinary than our usual activity recently was having the privilege of archiving, restoring and mastering from the original working tapes the music of Bagpuss. Its been an incredible experience seeing how these programs were so lovingly crafted and a testimony to the enduring genius of Oliver Postgate.
Homeslice make brilliantly sincere, heartfelt, jangly guitar pop you know we all have a special place in our heart for...
It was a great pleasure to work with Home$lice on their first album, 'Howdy'.
The Creeping Bent organisations Port Sulpher collaboration with James Kirk from the forth coming LP 'Paranoid Critical' which features other artists such as Vic Goddard, Davey Henderson and Alan Vega has been made record of the week on Janet Forsyths Radio Scotland show.
Our own Ronan of Green Door (lets pretend he's not writing this right now) has released his first album with Sweaty Palms.
Recorded with Emily and Stuart this time last year, released on 12" with Nice Swan Records, a truly disgusting record if there ever was one.
Personal favourites Rapid Tan release thier second EP 'Golden Wonder. Jagged,visceral,shouty and all that good stuff.
WomenSaid Magick! released on Optimo Music
"Seedy Electronica, consisting of 2 Basses, Electronic Drums, Synths and Dark Vocals. Inspired by the avant-garde that influenced the electronic music scene of the late '70's and early '80's.”
“The Hare, The Moon, The Drone” is the third album from Jacob Yates. This recording finds the band exploring dark hawthorn hedged lanes, moors and suburban, new build estates"