Portfolios Journalism
Page updated March.30.2007
The Next Generation Recording Studio: Tainted Blue Productions
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005 (~1500 words)
In the world of popular music, the recording studio is the sacred establishment where all manner of musical expression is recorded for mass consumption and history. At a hefty price tag, the high-end recording studio has always been an object of affection and desire for artists, with the record companies having the power to grant access to those they see fit.
However, rapid developments in studio technology over the last ten years have called into question the old model of, cutting records. In a heartbeat, the art of recording audio went from being a purely analog to a digital experience. Many things resulted from the rise of digital audio capabilities. For one, the price of owning components of studio gear became drastically cheaper, and that alone has many implications for the audio world. Artists no longer have to do absolutely everything in a high-end studio, and there has been a rise of bedroom and project studios. Artists are no longer held hostage to record labels like they used to, and that is especially true with the dawn of the Internet revolution.
In the midst of the new Wild West era of the music industry, Andrew Koss (Berklee alumnus of ’01) has come up with a new model for the recording studio. Tainted Blue Productions (www.taintedblue.com), a New York-based LLC, is located in the penthouse suite of a building right in the heart of Times Square. It used to be the Penthouse studio of Quad Studios, where figures such as Paul McCartney, 2Pac, and many more have recorded over the years. Tainted Blue, however, is not just another high-end recording studio. Koss, along with partner Patrick Shaw, researched many of the top studios in New York City before putting together Tainted Blue. They realized that if there was anything lacking in New York studios, it was the extraneous luxuries that the LA studios do well. New York studios seem to be more utilitarian, while for some of the LA studios, aesthetic design was one of the top priorities when they were built. Koss renovated the space of Tainted Blue to create a “Rolex kind of vibe; an exclusive place that also has a very warm, inviting, and comfortable atmosphere--including a fridge with wine and a lounge with video games and DVDs.
But that is only the beginning. Koss and Shaw decided they were not going to be just another typical high-end studio. For one, their own experiences working in other studios were marked with frustration with regards to equipment availability. Many big studios have disregard for software processors, and even less concern for music creation tools like synthesizers and samplers, whether hardware or software. Koss wanted to marry the best of all worlds with Tainted Blue, to “take [the studio] to the next generation of what music technology and production is”. One glance through the control room quickly shows original Pultec EQ units and software plug-in processors sitting side by side with hardware and software synths, and Apogee converters, all centered around an SSL J 9000 console. There are two main workstation areas in the control room. One is with the SSL, and is primarily for engineering work. The other is right behind that area, and is primarily for music creation. The set-up of the room allows for quick and seamless transitions between songwriting, recording, and mixing.
The biggest selling point for Tainted Blue, however, is in their business model. Tainted Blue is not just another studio that rents its space by the hour. As Koss puts it, “our end business plan isn’t to be a public studio, but to be an inclusive production place.” With the space and all its facilities, clients also receive the production and/or songwriting services of Koss and Shaw. More like a production company than a typical studio, Tainted Blue selects artists they see potential in and develops their musical style and sound. They also help the artist with promotion and exposure to record labels, putting some of the PR weight behind bands that are signed to a production agreement with Tainted Blue. In addition to production agreements, Tainted Blue will sometimes work for hire as a production team. The specifics of an agreement, and whether they work for hire or sign a contract with an artist, is negotiated on a case-by-case basis directly with each artist.
Koss does also rent out the studio to 3rd party engineers and producers, but he’s very selective about it, making sure he only allows in people who are respectful of the facility. Also, one of the key selling points of the studio for people looking to book time is that regardless of many hours someone books the studio for in a given day, Koss makes sure that is the only booking: If an engineer needs another couple hours, he can have it and there is no pressure to be out of the studio by 6 o’ clock sharp so that a 7 o’ clock session could start on time.
So how did Koss work his way to building a studio in the heart of Times Square? Koss attended Berklee from 1996 to 2001. He originally came with the intent of being a Music Production & Engineering/Performance double major. Koss realized that he was not the best drummer at school, and that MP&E didn’t cover production and music creation aspects as much as he wanted, so he ended up taking a Music Synthesis and Songwriting double major. While at Berklee, Koss spent almost all his time writing songs, somewhat missing on college life. Most of the stuff he worked on was outside of the curriculum, but when he was given a song project to do for a class, he would spend above and beyond the time and effort expected by all. He also produced the audio CDs of songwriting books written by Jimmy Kachulis, and built a project studio in his Boston apartment. During his time at Berklee and shortly after graduation, he produced and wrote songs for as many singers and bands as he could, offering his services for next to nothing. In the process, he built an impressively large portfolio and racked up a good deal of hands on experience.
Fresh out of Berklee, Koss toured with promising singer Caroline Gulde between 2001-2003. He played guitar and wrote and produced her songs. Along the way, Patrick Shaw was hired as a bass player, and as time progressed, he and Koss started producing Gulde’s songs together. Shaw’s past experiences as an assistant producer on several gold and platinum records from Sony and Arista helped. Through the duo’s work with Gulde, they met others in the industry. Pedro Garcia, a Berklee alumnus and engineer for indie label Bare Bonez, itself interested in signing Gulde, alerted Koss in advance about the sale of Quad Studios, a penthouse in New York. Koss and Shaw teamed up with Gulde’s sister, BU School of Management Graduate Katie Gulde, to author the business plan and keep track of finances in the beginning. Investment came from family, friends, and 3rd party investors.
Having opened the studio publicly just about a month ago, Tainted Blue already seems to be gaining momentum. Quality bands are walking in the door including Easily Amused and No Lindsay. There are a couple high profile engineers who love working in the Tainted Blue studio as well. Also, Tainted Blue hired Dan Klores Communications (DKC) for their PR needs. DKC’s client list includes Delta, P Diddy, and Ashlee Simpson. Potential clients are finding their way to Tainted Blue through referrals from DKC, their law firm (Greenberg Traurig LLP), and also as a result of the noise and exposure generated by the work of DKC, which have included feature articles in various audio trade magazines such as Mix Magazine, photo shoots featuring artists like Alicia Keyes for Reader’s Digest, and hosting of both radio show contests and, high-profile parties in coordination with Sony, Billboard, and MTV. Tainted Blue’s demo CD is also out.
The studio is truly an amazing and cozy facility. The wood panel walls of the control room and the live room remind me of a log cabin. The live room has a very pleasing acoustical vibe to it, with a lively and sweet natural reverb. Just outside the live room is a balcony that overlooks Times Square, and it is not until then that one is made aware of the noise and chaos of New York.
After the interview part of my meeting with Koss was over, I sat in some sessions, from alternative rock to music reminiscent of Fiona Apple. It is not difficult to imagine that Tainted Blue, barely two months old, could soon be in considered in the same breath as Electric Ladyland or the very Quad Studio it replaced.
To view this article in the MBJ itself, please visit the Music Business Journal web site, where a PDF of the issues are available for download.
Journalism Outline
The Music Business Journal of Berklee College of Music
· "Editor's Note"
Editorial, MBJ Vol. 2 Issue 1, March 2006
· "NAMM: Kyung Min"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 2 Issue 1, March 2006
· "Paul Goldman: A True Creative, even in Business"
Cover article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 7, December 2005
· "The Next Generation Recording Studio: Tainted Blue Productions"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005
· "SSL Rejuvenated: Staying on Top of the Game"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005
· "Marketing Design Group: A New Student Club of the MB/M Dept."
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005
· "Mobile Talk: Interview with Tim Nilson,
VP of Global Mobile Technology, Sony/BMG"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 4, August 2005
· "Editor's Note"
Editorial, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 3, May 2005
· "Editor's Note"
Editorial, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005
· "The Future of Music"
Model Work, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005
· "Press Kit: FLUTTR Effect"
Review, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005
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8.2.08 - The website for A Green Church, a company dedicated to environmental practices and products for churches, was designed by Mr. Min and implemented by Mr. Min and Rob Sanchez for Elative Marketing.
8.1.08 - Mr. Min transitions from being Content Manager of Web Marketing at Digidesign to working full time as Creative Director for Elative Marketing and Director of Marketing for Addo Label.
