For more than 90s years, the world's first purpose-built recording studio has hosted some of the most famous artists and musicians. The Beatles, Oasis, Stevie Wonder and Shirley Bassey have all recorded there – and that's just scratching the surface.
Abbey Road Studios, originally a nine-bedroom Georgian townhouse was bought by the Gramophone Company in 1929 and underwent modifications to create a specialised space for sound recording.
The large garden at the rear of the London property was used to create the space, turning it from a residential plot to a hub of audio innovation.
It seems fitting then, that another space that also started life in a very different guise, should be chosen as the brand's choice to launch a brand new recording studio.
Tucked away down corridors, past premium boxes and VIP suites within Manchester's Co-op Live arena sits the adidas Originals Recording Studio. The former kitchen space has been transformed into a state-of-the-art recording facility with the aim of supporting rising music stars.
The double-room space has been engineered by Abbey Road’s leading technicians and sound engineers, blending decades of audio expertise with the latest workflows and cutting-edge gear.
It represents a collaboration between Co-op Live, adidas and Abbey Road Studios and could potentially help foster and grow the next generation of Manchester and North West-based talent.
This brand new studio will be open to the adidas Originals community, supporting young creative talent through collaborations with Co-op Live, Abbey Road’s Amplify and Equalise programmes, and Manchester-based Factory International’s Factory Sounds.
With on-site access to Abbey Road’s engineers, artists and creative communities will be supported by some of the industry’s most experienced recording and mixing experts – bringing decades of learning and audio excellence to every session.
Speaking about the collaboration and prospects for the future, Sally Davies, Managing Director, Abbey Road said: “The launch of the adidas Originals Recording Studio is a world-first collaboration creating a new, Abbey Road-engineered recording space beyond the walls of our home in London.
"We are enormously proud to partner with adidas, Co-op Live and Factory International to create a new platform for talent in Manchester and the North-West, expanding our mission to enable and empower the global community of music makers and creators, and shape the future of music making.”
On why the group of organisations selected Manchester, Sally has also said that it's about supporting creativity outside the capital.
"We have a number of creative programmes at Abbey Road including Equalise which is really about inspiring more women to go into audio engineering, or Amplify, supporting emerging talent, and we really want to bring some of these programmes here to Manchester through this facility.
"Between us all we have the exciting potential to create a platform that supports emerging talent in the North West."
Manchester’s Liam Fray, founder and frontman of indie rock band Courteeners, was the first artist to utilise the studio through a live lounge performance on opening night.
Recording a selection of songs in the newly unveiled recording space, he spoke of how "special" it will be to Manchester and it's up-and-coming talent.
"This place is beautiful, I think what it does is it makes it aspirational. If I was 18 again I would want to come to this, it's already a destination. Anyone who gets to come here it really lucky and I'm excited to see who comes through the doors.
"There are obstacles to get into the industry, finance is one of those barriers, but geography is also one.
"To have something of this level up here that is a focal point in Manchester opens up the industry and takes it to a wider audience. There will be geniuses out there that we don’t yet know about.”
For Low Kee Hong, Creative Director at Factory International, which has also been involved in the project, the Abbey Road satellite is also about the future.
"It's about tomorrow, and making tomorrow with community," he said at the launch event.
"We have a very deep commitment to Greater Manchester artists and those in the North West, and over time we have developed a lot of programmes and spaces across all genres and for me the common denominator is adidas – really you've assembled this incredible group of people to think about the future in very powerful ways.
"The arrival of this new facility will be a sea change for what is possible for young artists. This is a pivotal moment for music in the northwest."
The Adidas Originals Recording Studio, engineered by Abbey Road, will be open to the community starting in August.
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