Journal 2016

JOURNAL [2016]

Welcome to our journal archive. Scroll down to see our our past entries…

December 2016

• It has been a pleasure to record and mix a work by our friend and colleague John Ashton Thomas. We often work with John as one of the world’s top orchestrators and conductors, but he is also a fabulous composer. We loved working on his piece “7 Blake Songs”, which is written for choir, and jazz trio. [kw]

• We are in Paris for special concert to launch a new documentary that music producer/filmmaker Solrey has made about French pianist Alain Planès.

  Followed by meetings with Radio France to discuss upcoming recordings. [pc]

November 2016

• Pete has been recording Michael Giacchino’s score for the latest Star Wars film - “Rogue One”. He is the first composer who isn’t John Williams to score a film in this iconic series, and has written a fabulous score - a fresh voice, but respectful and maintaining the flavour and character of the previous films. The score was recorded at Sony in Los Angeles, and mixed by Joel Iwataki. [kw]

• James Morrison, a good mate from Sydney days and who just happens to be one of the most extraordinary musicians is in town with his band. We book Abbey Road and cut a record with the BBC Concert Orchestra doing some timeless hits for an fab album titled “The Great American Songbook”. [pc]
  
  

October 2016

• The duo 2CELLOS have been recording and mixing a new album with us. Stjepan and Luka have been great fun to work with and they are fantastic musicians and it was wonderful to see the lovely synchronicity in the way they work and perform together. We recorded the LSO at Air for this under the direction of producer Nick Patrick, and we have done editing, programming and mixing at Sweet Thunder. [pc]

• Legendary speaker manufacturer Bowers and Wilkins celebrate their 50th anniversary and Pete is asked to join an industry panel to discuss the merits of their flagship speakers - an easy task given the high estimation we hold for their products.
  Years of research and development into these sonic wonders and we are proud to be the first mix room in the world with a B&W’s 800D3 system. [ kw ]

September 2016

• It has been good to be in the studio with a composer I have admired for some time but not worked with before - Michael Giacchino. We are recording his score for Marvel’s “Dr Strange”. It’s been great fun recording this all up, with clavichords, Rhodes pianos, electric guitars and hand percussion and huge orchestra all playing together. Michael has been a great energy in the studio - love the vibe and hope to work with him again! [pc]

• Earlier in the year we mixed James Newton-Howard’s magical score for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” at Abbey Road. Expertly recorded by Shawn Murphy in Studio 1 Abbey Rd, and mixed by Pete and myself - we’ve just finished up mixing final pick-ups for this, this time at Sweet Thunder. A treat for us to be working with our friends from the Harry Potter team again on this new series of films - David Yates (director), David Heyman (producer), Mark Day (editor), Allan Jenkins (music editor) and more ! [kw]

August 2016

• Since it’s release last year, our Elvis album has sold 1.6 million records - hats off to the King, Don Reedman, Nick Patrick and the Royal Philharmonic!

• We’ve been busy co-producing an album for Alexander Armstrong with Caroline Dale and Rob Dickins.

  Along with pre-production work with Caroline, there’s been chamber and large orchestra recordings at Air, vocal sessions at North 7 and Sweet Thunder and a lot of editing, comping and mixing.

  Rob has masterminded a diverse and interesting selection of songs, Caroline has done some lovely arrangements and Alexander has been a delight to have in the studio !

  Here is Alexander at Sweet Thunder unable to resist one of Sue Whalley’s delicious cakes ! [kw]

July 2016

• Stephen Warbeck has been for his first visit at Sweet Thunder. Kirsty has been mixing score of the first episode of a TV series for TNT that he’s composed. A raucous take on the early life of Shakespeare, Stephen has been recording chamber group, drum kits and percussion for this colourful score with Steve Price at Angel. [pc]

• We had a fabulous trip to the B&W factory in Hove. Though Pete has been on numerous occasions it was my first time. I was completely blown away by the commitment to building all the components themselves and the super high standards and attention to detail at every level. We had the opportunity also to go to Steyning and listen to the new 800D3s and other products in development. Thanks to Danny Haikin for organising for us. [kw]

June 2016

• We are thrilled to be working again with director James Marsh who has teamed with Jóhann Jóhannsson on the score for a new film. “The Mercy” tells the story of Donald Crowhurst, the amateur sailor who entered the Golden Globe contest to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe. The exact details of this voyage are still to this day mysterious - it’s a fascinating story….. Jóhann’s score spans the extremes of emotion in this score, and takes us from some beautiful moments to some fabulously uneasy and disturbing journeys. The score was recorded in Budapest by Geoff Foster, and mixed at Sweet Thunder by Pete and myself. [kw]

• It was a little sad to be recording one of the last sessions at Paris’ famous Davout Studio, before it closes.

  I recorded Alexandre Desplat’s score for “The Odyssey” there before bringing it back to mix with Kirsty at Sweet Thunder. Although my French is not quite up to understanding the film perfectly, the stunning images make it compelling viewing! It tells the story of Jacques Cousteau, the famous French researcher, scientist, inventor, filmmaker and master of the deep sea! [pc]

May 2016

• We are working with director Ewan McGregor, composer Alexandre Desplat and producer Solrey on the score for “American Pastoral”. This score features our wonderful London Symphony Orchestra french horn players, but little did we know that our director is also a horn player!! [kw]

April 2016

• Pete and I are working with producers Nick Patrick and Don Reedman again. We worked with them on the two Elvis albums, and this time recording arrangements with the RPO for Aretha Franklin Pete is recording in Studio 1 Abbey Rd, and I’m starting the editing process at Sweet Thunder. [kw]

How exciting for Pete to nominated for BAFTA. With fellow nominees Kazuma Jinnouchi and Nobuko Toda, all three have been nominated for their work on Halo 5 in the British Academy Games Awards. [kw]

• I have been away recording a score with the Filmorchester Babelsburg, Germany. Here I am with composer Mario Grigorov in the studio whilst recording his moving score for “Another Mother’s Son”.

  Starring Jenny Seagrove this true story tells of the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands in WWII. [kw]

March 2016

• I’m just finishing off a temp score for the director’s cut of Rogue One - A Star Wars Story. This has been a quick blast through the film - not much more than a day or two on each reel! It’s been fun, and great to work with Gareth Edwards (Director) and Jabez Olsson (Editor), but I think this could be the last time I will be working on a temp score in a cutting room in Soho…… with Sweet Thunder mix room ready and starting to become busy, I’m ready to put the music editor scissors away and put all my efforts into the new business and concentrate on engineering fully. Bring it on - exciting times ahead!! [kw]

• Pete is at Air with Alex Heffes to score an episode of the new HBO remake of the the classic 1977 TV mini-series - “Roots”. [kw]

February 2016

• We spent an evening celebrating and saying a fond farewell to Colette Barber at Abbey Road. Pete and his daughter Freya have spent months making a most beautiful book as a special leaving present for Colette. It is inspired by the 35 diaries that Colette used over the years for the studio bookings at Abbey Road.

  It’s hard to imagine Abbey Road without her - we wish her all the best in whatever she does in the future. [kw]

• This month Marc Streitenfeld is at Sweet Thunder. Marc is an old friend and has composed the score for Mark Forster’s film “All I See Is You” which I am mixing, with expert score editing assistance from Lewis Morison.

  Marc has done a really interesting score for this disturbing story, Pete has recorded orchestral elements at Abbey Studio 1 to accompany Marc’s sound scapes and the musical saw ! [kw]

January 2016

• Very happy to welcome Alex Heffes and Mira Nair to Sweet Thunder, to mix the score for “The Queen of Katwe”. The first score to be mixed at Sweet Thunder!! Alex has written  beautiful music for this stunning film. Pete has been recording at at Air Studios, and I am mixing at Sweet Thunder with editing duties carried out by our friend Cécile Tournesac.   [kw]
  

• This is the very first post and what a way to start the new year. After a fabulous 21 years Pete has decided to leave Abbey Road as he is wanting to seek out new challenges and opportunities. He is understandably proud of his contributions and achievements at Abbey Road and it’s been a difficult decision, but we’re all excited about making Sweet Thunder a new home for our productions.

  So the new year is really off with a bang or is that the sweet thunder of builders leaving ? It's been frantic finishing work in the new mix studio - all hands on deck including from friends and family.

  The room is sounding sweet, the new coffee machine is warming up and it is almost ready for action!!   [kw]