Aerial Recording
Studio Updates & Releases 2023

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2023 News Archive

2023 was time to stop being so damn secretive about everything and running  everything off word of mouth .
I thought I'd build a new site dedicated to chronicling some of the humble work of a Perth studio from indie bands, string ensembles, folk and blues and singer-songwriters  and the life of the photo-bombing studio hound, Vinny.
Here is how it started - click on HOME above for how it's going.  

Aerial Recording Keyboards

Aerial's Hammond A100 (B3 with reverb amp) and Rhodes Mk2 88
(Dec 10, 2023)

Summer

Not quite over yet, but 2023 has been an absolute pearler at Aerial and, feeling in a very grateful expansive mood, I'd like to wish everyone, and very particularly all the musicians who’ve been through my doors this year, a happy and safe (and profitable?) holiday season. Thanks to you all for being so amazing and bringing your music that has been such a pleasure to work with.

Really pleased with how the studio is growing. So many good projects through this year, covering so many different genres and stylistic territories that I am always kept on my toes.

The new site seems to have helped introduce this place to a bunch of new clients, after running for most of the last 10 years almost entirely on word of mouth. Perhaps it's success is all down to my good lookin' studio hound Vinny? - (Here handsome - have a biscuit)

Many plans for the season ahead. Three very cool indie albums to finish off, a blues album, a meditation album, an experimental noise project, a live rock album and then do a film score. After a year of studio refurb I think it may be time to start adding a few more to my already slightly bursting microphone locker :)

Aerial Recording Drums

Tracking Al Balmont's giant backbeat
(Nov 11, 2023)

Big And Loud Drums

A quick pic while spending an enjoyable day tracking drums and bass for the new Monotonic album.
Al's snare is the heaviest and loudest DW brass snare I've ever seen and is captured with a BeesNeez BU67 and Albini-designed Josephson E22S. Also, out of shot, there are a few room microphones 6m out from the kit. Can't wait for this record to be complete as the drums sound truly massive.
This week I remastered Rob Zielinski's grand retrospective album "The Day Dawn" for an international tour. Also a bunch more mixing for Langley Chambers' first album which is also getting really close to release.

Aerial Recording Exterior

Aerial Recording gets a new paint job
(Oct 29, 2023)

Spring

Been keeping busy this month with some great recording sessions including Rob Zielinski, Manuela Centanni, Langley Chambers, Monotonic and Matt Walsh. Plotting another album by Gus McKay and a video production for Rob Zielinski.

All Spring, with any spare moment I could find, I've been painting the old servo exterior. A small lake of paint later, she is now resplendant in ECM green and IMPULSE! orange, in tribute to two of my favourite record labels.

Marked the end of this year's renovation mission by finally putting a little sign up on the marquee and posting the studio to Google Maps.

Aerial Recording on Google Maps

Gus McKay - The Pub

Gus McKay - Gearjammers

Gus McKay
- Mojo Grande (From the Vault)

So pleased to hear from Gus that this EP is now available.

These are the remaining tracks from the 2017 sessions for the album "Talisman" and features a fine set of dusty Mad Max style Blues Rock.

Gus McKay's songs are soaked in a raw kind of Australian experience far from the inner city.
"Talisman" received a stack of enthusastic reviews for it's cinematic vibes and it's wide-ranging blues/jazz/folk/Australiana roots . Though recorded at the same time, the tracks from Mojo Grande never quite sat right in the lazy heat haze of that set, so it's fitting that that they finally get their own release.
It's the kind of rough, one take blues rock that would make a perfect sound track to a Kalgoorlie bar fight or sunset behind the wheel of a roadtrain. Gus tells me it's already receiving radio play in the UK.

MOJO GRANDE (From the Vault)
Gus McKay - Vocals, Guitar
Phil Waldron - Bass, Pedal Steel, Trumpet
Ronan Charles - Drums, Hammond Organ, Saxophone

Recorded and Mixed at Aerial Recording
Mastered at Abbey Road by Simon Gibson

Langley Chambers at Aerial Recording

Langley Chambers lays it down
(Sep 29, 2023)

Spring Tuesday Sessions

$250 4 HOUR SESSION

* Special Rate for Tuesday Day or Night Sessions
Additional time at standard rate [$80/hr]

Aerial Recording is open for bookings 7 days a week.

Phil Waldron at Aerial Recording

Phil Waldron & Emily Green-Armytage record Dittersdorf's Bass Concerto
(Sep 10 2023)

Perth Session Musicians  Get in Touch

I have a bunch of interesting projects coming up and looking to expand my roster of experienced local musicians who are interested and available for session work.

Drop me an email and I'll be in touch.

contact@aerialrecording.com.au

Community Chamber Collective - Palladio
Video by Francis Fenner

Community Chamber Collective Session
- Palladio

A crisp, bright Winter's day up here in the hills and just finished a great session with the Community Chamber Collective recording their arrangement of Palladio by Karl Jenkins for a video production. We captured an incredible, inspired performance.

Community Chamber Orchestra on Instagram


Community Chamber Collective - Palladio (K. Jenkins) [Full Version]

Community Chamber Collective

In other news, my favourite synth from my collection, the one and only 1983 Prophet 5 (rev3.3) is back from a service from the genius electronics doctor Grant Ettrick (EAV) and sounds more thick and alive and better than ever. It's a synth from another era, the first ever synth to have an operating system and presets, and one which kind of quirkily cycles a buddhist mantra as it runs the code. Also features a picture of Buddha on the circuit board. They don't make 'em like that any more !

Rob Zielinski at Aerial Recording

Rob Zielinski recording one of his own hand-made violins at Aerial. You can see the violin has yet to be varnished by the raw wood colour.

Rob Zielinski "Memories of Krakow" Mastered at Abbey Road

Rob Zielinski is one of the finest violinists that you'll ever have the pleasure to hear. He was traditionally mentor-trained in Irish fiddle and tours extensively. In addition, he is also a violin luthier of the highest standard. I've been recording Rob for 6 years now, documenting him with various groups, solo performances and the distinctive sound of each new instrument he makes.

"Memories of Krakow" is one of his own finest ballads, shot through with dark Polish folk vibes and I just got word it should be available soon. I'll post a link to it soon.
Thought I'd share an email I just got from him.

"Hey Ronan,
So I'm just back from Europe and managed to duck over to London and get this track mastered at Abbey Road with Andy Walter. He's one of the senior engineers there. Amazing experience. He loved the sound, mixing and everything . He said it didn't need anything and just put it through the software chain they use on everything pretty much."

www.robertzielinskimusic.com

UPDATE JAN 2024
Found a set of 3 videos shot here in the studio one night in 2020.
Rob Zielinski and vocalist/guitarist Kate Burke performing a beautiful set with just a single U47 microphone between them.

Australian Acoustic on Vimeo

Sascha Ion & The Elements - Creature
Video by Elliot Ramsay

Sascha Ion & The Elements
-Creature

Sascha Ion is an immensely talented musician and a great friend. We played and toured together in One Horse Town many years ago so it was a pleasure to work with her again and record her new band's EP at the tail end of Summer. It came together criminally easy.

"Creature" is on rotation on RTR-FM ahead of it's digital release on 24th August, followed by a launch concert at Clancy's Fremantle on the 1st September.

Sascha Ion tracking at Aerial Recording
www.saschion.com
Vinny performs concert

Vinny - Official Studio Mascot, Assistant Engineer and Serial Photo-Bomber

New site to celebrate Aerial's 10th Birthday

Welcome to the new Aerial Recording site. My daughter Neve took some of the photos and studio hound Vinny did his best to get in every shot. Thanks also to Elliot ("Elite") Ramsay for some great shots taken during the Sascha Ion sessions.

elliotramsay.com

Studio has been busy lately and have also been doing a stack of renovations to the old joint. I built some new big and wide stairs to make it easier to lug in drums and amps without fear of killing yourself. New lights (yeah I'm addicted to fancy lights, I admit), new server room, new drum storage and installed the amazing Autotone Reverb Device in the main room to enhance the room sound. Next is to tackle my admittedly basic (some might even say primitive) kitchen.

Recent new recording projects have included the recording of Monotonic's new album, featuring ex-members of Header and Ammonia. Langley Chambers, a talented young singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist is working on his debut album. Also about to start work on mixing the mammoth Chagos Population album that kept me busy all 2022 recording dozens of great local players as guests. Gus McKay is planning to release an EP from some of the previously unreleased "Talisman" sessions. btw: Hunt down a copy of his critically acclaimed and Aerial-recorded album "Talisman" on vinyl if you still can.

Nel Begley Quintet are making a video of one of the tracks she recorded here when she toured here from London over Summer and look forward to posting it here.

My own latest instrumental project Rain No Rain also has a new website with all the tracks from the 2022 live recording made here. Features the awesome Ricky Malet, Daniele Di Paola and Kate Pass.Rain-No_Rain-Brokenfield

www.rainnorain.au