D.C. Anderson tracks trio with Violette Furton

Anderson, center, in the control room with the band post-session.

Actor and singer/songwriter D.C. Anderson (Norman, Miles) performed new material in the Mezzanine earlier this month, in a session with studio engineer Violette Furton. The artist recorded guitar, vocals, and piano over the course of an evening session–a perfect time of day for a folk music session! Furton tracked the trio as they took it, through the studio‘s SSL 4064 G+ console.

Check out Anderson’s previous releases or more about his career, on the stage (in multiple capacities) and off.

Christine Ebersole records in the Mezzanine with Al Houghton

Dubway owner and engineer Al Houghton recorded two-time Tony Award-winning singer and actor Christine Ebersole (42nd Street, Grey Gardens, Tootsie) in our Mezzanine Studio earlier this month.

Alongside Charley Shealy, who co-engineered the recordings along with Houghton, Ebersole tracked piano, acoustic guitar, and vocals, before heading downstairs into the Blue Room to mix. The session included musicians Larry Saltzman and Lawrence Yurman (on guitar and piano, respectively), pictured above with Ebersole in the control room.

You can find more about Ebersole’s amazing life and career here, or find some of her many other recordings on her website.

Producer Billy Mann brings BLKBOK to the Mezzanine

Mann (center, seated), BLKBOK (center right), and Shealy (right, seated) in the control room.

Grammy Award-winning songwriter, record producer, and Green & Bloom/Topline founder/CEO Billy Mann brought Detroit piano prodigy BLKBOK through our Mezzanine Studio to record a collection of holiday piano music late last month. The session was overseen by studio engineer Charley Shealy and produced by Mann.

BLKBOK is an immensely talented pianist whose work has continually crossed genre and style boundaries in interesting blends, primarily in the idioms of classical, contemporary pop, and hip hop. He’s worked with other artists of all stripes over the course of his career (which began at the very young age of six!), including superstars like Rihanna and Justin Timberlake.

For a sample of BLKBOK shredding on a cover, listen to his short snipped of Cardi B’s “Up”, from the Atlantic Records Facebook page (at right). You can also catch a full set of his from Rockwood Music Hall on YouTube, for a taste of the moods his playing can evoke.

Once recording had wrapped, Mann, BLKBOK, and Shealy had time for some preliminary editing and mixing to put a cap on the day’s recordings. We look forward to hearing what these songs become!

Performing artist Ann Kittredge tracks new music in Dubway's Mezzanine

Singer and performing artist Ann Kittredge recently brought a group of talented musicians to our Mezzanine Studio to track songs and material for an upcoming project. The ensemble included drums, double bass, piano, additional percussion, and lots of vocals. Dubway staff engineer Violette Furton recording the session, using the Mezzanine’s SSL console. Paul Rolnick produced the session, in conjunction with Kittredge.

Kittredge has had a long career on stage, screen, and tape, and has gotten to perform in productions on Broadway, off Broadway, and at theaters throughout the Northeast. Her work spans traditional musicals, cabaret, and a variety of other vocal and performance styles.

Pro Tools Expert publishes a guide to Apple's Spatial Audio from Nathaniel Reichman

Lead Dubway engineer Nathaniel Reichman has been a vocal supporter of immersive formats for music for a long time, so it’s no surprise that when Pro Tools Expert needed an expert of their own for an article on Apple’s new Spatial Audio format/program, they turned to Reichman.

The article, which can be found here, describes in detail a set of best-practices and technical approaches for working in immersive music formats, specifically in mixing immersive music via Dolby Atmos and the Atmos renderer. Many of these practices have been honed and deployed on Reichman’s spatial music mixes for Dubway clients, including on a set of John Luther Adams albums, and on some of Pinna’s amazingly hi-fi children’s programming.

Reichman presenting at Dolby HQ in Manhattan in October 2019, at the premier and album release for the spatial mixes of John Luther Adams’ Become Desert.

For anyone who’s ever been curious about the nuts-and-bolts of translating immersive mixing techniques to the varied playback environments and formats often associated with music consumption, this article is excellent. And if the technical stuff is too in-the-weeds, but you’re curious about hearing your music in an immersive format, give us a call–that’s what we’re here for!

Scott Alan tracks vocals with Dubway engineer Violette Furton

Scott Alan at the piano; photo courtesy of the artist.

Multitalented artist and performer Scott Alan has been at Dubway the past month, working with engineer Violette Furton over a couple sessions to record vocals, string parts, saxaphone, and a woodwind section for Alan’s upcoming album.

Vocals were recorded on our Main Floor Studios, with instrumental groups tracked separately in our Mezzanine Studio to take advantage of the spacious live room, both for acoustics and for COVID-safe ensemble recording.

Alan is an acclaimed songwriter and coach who has worked with all sorts of top talent, including Grammy Award winning Pentatonix, Tony Award winning Sutton Foster, Grammy nominees Jane Monheit and Marc Broussard, and many, many more.

You can keep up to date with Alan’s work at his page, linked at top, and find his previous albums on all digital media platforms.

SOCAPA takes over Dubway's Main Floor

Guitar tracking in Sound Room 3.

As was yearly tradition before last year’s shutdown forced a pause, the talented kids of the School of Creative and Performing Arts–SOCAPA for short–took over our Main Floor studios for a couple summer weeks, churning out original tunes alongside Dubway engineers and their instructors. You can see previous years highlighted on the music section of their camp’s website; until the projects are finished and streamable, check out some photos from this year’s camp below!

Engineers included Darnell Burns, Violette Furton, Sydney Fuqua, and Chad Henderson, all of whom worked quickly and efficiently with students to produce finished pieces in a creative, team-effort-style race against the clock.

Congratulations to all the campers–see you next year!

Mayor's House releases video for "Dream Dancer" recording

A video for Mayor’s House’s song “Dream Dancer”–recorded in our Mezzanine studio last week–is now live on the band’s YouTube. The track was recorded and mixed by Dubway’s Violette Furton; the video was captured and edited by the band.

Mayor’s House recorded an EP’s worth of songs during their session, so stay tuned for more to come! You can read our write up of the session here.

Mayor's House tracks new songs in the Mezzanine

Clockwise from top left: bassist Jeffrey Allen, drummer Eli Meyers, guitarist Emily Morris, guitarist River Glassberg, and Dubway engineer Violette Furton.

Last weekend, new local band Mayor’s House set up camp in our penthouse Mezzanine studio to track songs for an upcoming project. Staff engineer Violette Furton was there to guide the technical side of things, using the racks of outboard gear for added color and the SSL 4064 G+ as the central hub for the session. Together, the team recorded the classic ingredients of an indie rock band: drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitar, vocals, and more vocals.

Check out some pictures from the recording here, give the band a follow on IG link above, and stay tuned for new music from Mayor’s House!

Complex Media records six-episode exclusive podcast hosted by DJ PVNCH

DJ PVNCH.

Complex Media has just wrapped production on Complex Subject: Pop Smoke, a limited run, six-episode podcast series on the life and work of Pop Smoke, and Dubway was proud to have served as the host recording facility for the show’s production phase.

Episodes are produced by Complex producer Shiva Bayat and hosted by DJ PVNCH (who you may know as Tekashi 6ix9ine’s DJ), and have been recorded in our Main Floor Studios by Dubway engineer Louis Fisher.

This podcast is a wealth of information on Pop for those interested in the rapper’s life and context, and gives excellent insight into his music and impact on culture. You can find all episodes on Spotify (who partnered with Complex to produce the show) available now!

Miloco Studios listing platform recommends Dubway as premier NYC recording destination

Our Mezzanine recording room; staff photography from a recording session with Brian Russell Carey.

Miloco Studios, an international listing service for high-end professional studios all around the world, recently published a recommended list of recording studios in NYC, and we were delighted to see our Manhattan facility listed among the few selected institutions. From their featured listing of our studio:

““If you’re after a room with a view, look no further than Dubway Studios. Boasting the title of ‘highest studio in NYC’, Dubway is a beautifully designed state-of-the-art studio that has over 30 years of studio experience. With penthouse mezzanine live and SSL control rooms, this sits atop the main floor housing three control rooms and three sound rooms, all interlinked with audio and video channels for complete and fluid control over all rooms.”

It’s always nice to see appreciation for your efforts, and we’re proud to be among the best the city has to offer. Give us a call or an email to book today!

Dubway West tracks Naïka at Winston House

Miami-based singer & songwriter Naïka performed a set of expansive R&B at Winston House this week–following on the heels of Sinéad Harnett’s show the day before–with Dubway West on-site to make sure the recording stayed crystal-clear.

Naika just released a new project, Lost In Paradïse Pt.2, and while she hasn’t announced a tour yet, she’s clearly excited to get the songs in front of a live audience. The set included new material and songs from previous albums, including a sultry version of “African Sun”, which you can hear a clip of her performing below.

Dubway West’s technical team included engineers Patrick Pak and Maja Sazdic.

Listen to Naïka’s full releases here, or follow her Instagram (linked at top) for more!

Sinead Harnett performs at Winston House with Dubway West

Dubway West’s engineers recorded the show of English R&B artist Sinéad Harnett this week, as she performed a set at Winston House in front of a live audience (for the first time in nearly 18 months!).

With vaccinations on the rise, live music and events are finally starting to be safe enough to resume–something we’ve all been waiting for, especially performing artists! Harnett is gearing up to tour Europe in 2022 in support of her newest album, Ready Is Always Too Late, which was released a month ago on her label, Thairish.

Dubway West has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with the performance space Winston House, often serving as in-house recording techs for the varied performances that grace its stage. You can find out about more of those past events on our blog, or check out a clip from Sinéad Harnett’s show to the right. Her album can be streamed at the Spotify link above or on all other major streaming platforms.

Jonathan Reid Gealt records keyboards, organ, and more in the Mezzanine

Pictured left to right: Jonathan Reid Gealt, Joseph Joubert, Stephen Oremus, and Brian Usifer; photo courtesy of the artist (@jonathanreidgealt).

Jonathan Reid Gealt returned to our NYC headquarters last week with a stellar crew to record keyboard instruments for his upcoming album Archetype! The session was engineered by staff engineer Zach Grappone and featured a group of producers and orchestrators that we were thrilled to have in-studio–as we’ve only previously collaborated with them all remotely–including Stephen Oremus, Joseph Joubert, Michael McElroy, Matt Hinkley, Justin Goldner, and Brian Usifer.

Recording tackled both group vocals and several keyboard instruments, including our Hammond B3 (with an original Leslie amp cabinet) and Wurlitzer, both pictured below, and our Yamaha Grand Piano.

These songs are sounding more and more full and beautiful with each day they approach their finished state. Keep posted for more news about Archetype and an upcoming release date!

Stephen Oremus conducts the chorus while engineer Zach Grappone sets a mic in the background.

Robert Nath dubs vocals with producer Jonathan Comisar

Composer Robert Nath and his producer Jonathan Comisar joined us in the studio this weekend to record vocal overdubs on a collection of pieces previously recorded with us. With Dubway engineer Marc Frongillo behind the boards, Comisar and Nath directed the vocalists from both the live room and control room, adding group singing to the already rich mix of piano, cello, violin, and clarinet present in the recordings. Frongillo made ample use of the high ceilings in the Mezzanine studio live room for a natural room sound and clear stereo image, both central components of classical-style ensemble recordings.

These pieces will be continuing on to track primary vocals next, before preparing for release.

Jonathan Reid Gealt and Brooke Simpson record at Dubway West

Brooke Simpson in the booth at Dubway West, with Gealt and his producer on the line in the foreground.

Jonathan Reid Gealt’s album Archetype is heading into the home stretch after another all-star vocal session at Dubway West this past month. The guest vocalist in-studio for the recording was singer/songwriter/previous Voice contestant Brooke Simpson, who was a treat to hear behind the mic.

The session was recorded by Dubway West engineer Maja Sazdic, and comes just in advance of another session–this time at Dubway NYC–in which Gealt will be recording a large band for several of his tunes, as the project gets closer and closer to completion.

You can follow Gealt’s work on the album on his website, linked above, and find more recent news about previous collaborators further down in our blog.

"Master Of None" shoots promo "Moments in Love: A Music Experience" at Winston House with Dubway West

Dubway West joined the team at the Winston House to record a concert for Netflix’s Master of None, which recently released its third season. The concert, titled “Moments in Love: A Musical Experience” was a celebration of Black and queer R&B artists, with an amazing lineup of talent that included Tiffany Gouché, Durand Bernarr, Destin Conrad, Avery Wilson, Asiahnn, and a conversation with Maxwell. The Dubway team included engineers Maja Sazdic and Patrick Pak, who worked alongside a creative team lead by director Malakai Johnson.

You can read more about the shoot here, and find behind-the-scenes clips from the show on the artists’ Instagrams (linked above).

John Luther Adams' "Arctic Dreams": out now!

Acclaimed composer John Luther Adams’ newest work, Arctic Dreams, releases today on Cold Blue Music. The album has been in the works for some time, with Dubway lead engineer Nathaniel Reichman producing and mixing its entirety. As with all of Adams’ works, the performers are top notch. From the label:

The composer, photography courtesy Donald Lee.

Performed by the incredible Synergy Vocals, a critically acclaimed vocal ensemble that has during the past 25 years recorded music by Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, David Lang, Luciano Berio, James MacMillian, Steven Mackey, John Adams, Arvo Pärt, and many other composers and performed with the Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco Symphonies, the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, as well as other major orchestras and many chamber ensembles. Their performances and recordings have been deemed “amazing” (New York Times); “beautiful, haunting” and “wonderfully transparent” (Gramophone); “superb” (The Guardian); “dazzling” (The Observer); “exquisite” (Financial Times); and “blazing and stunning” (The Herald, Scotland). With Synergy Vocals is a quartet of notable string players, all specialists in new music: violinist Robin Lorentz, violist Ron Lawrence, cellist Michael Finckel, and bassist Robert Black.

Coinciding with Apple Music’s new support for Dolby Atmos® Music, the album is available in the Atmos® format and can be streamed with immersive sound here, or purchased at the Cold Blue link at the top.

TikTok fuels "Castaways" rise to the top of Spotify's Viral 50 chart

“Castaways”, a song from the Backyardigans series on Nick Jr., has seen a huge rise in streams in the past month, thanks to a section of the song going viral on the video platform TikTok. Sounds often go viral on the platform when used for a dance, or as a soundtrack for a specific topic or meme, and in this case both appear to be true. Users deploy the audio just as often to dance the show’s choreography as they do as a backdrop for skits, instructional videos, and commentaries.

The song was composed and recorded under the auspices of Dubway–back when the studio was in it’s Chelsea location–with noted composer Evan Lurie writing the tune. Dubway produced or engineered the audio for Backyardigans for years, including the sound design, foley, ADR, mixing, and music. It’s been a treat to see this song (and the show) enjoy such broad appeal on TikTok; streams of the song have risen so much that through the weekend, “Castaways” was in the #1 position on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart, before being unseated today by Eurovision entry Go_A’s song, “SHUM”.

Apple Music announces support for Dolby Atmos format

The Dolby Atmos format has been a major player in film and television sound for years, and has recently made significant inroads as a format for music releases. In a press release this week, Apple Music announced that it will add support for the format to it’s streaming services! The service will come included in an Apple Music subscription, starting on June 21st.

Dubway has been proud to offer Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment mixing to our post-production clients, and can also offer Dolby Atmos Music mixing for our music clients. We’ve been lucky to work on several excellent immersive albums in the Atmos Music format, including the highly acclaimed John Luther Adams album Become Desert, and are excited to continue to work in immersive music formats. Check out or services page or give us a call to learn more!