Smart Studios
Coordinates: 43°05′15″N 89°21′59″W / 43.08748°N 89.366468°W / 43.08748; -89.366468
Smart Studios | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Recording Studio |
Location | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
Address | 1254 East Washington Avenue |
Town or city | Madison, Wisconsin |
Completed | Opened in 1983 |
Closed | 2010 |
Client | Various bands |
Owner | Butch Vig Steve Marker |
Landlord | Butch Vig |
Smart Studios was a recording studio located in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands. The studio produced bands such as Killdozer, The Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Tad Juster, and Nirvana. After initial production and remix successes, the building became the focus of operations for Vig and Marker's own group, Garbage, who released their debut album in 1995.
The studio survived various mishaps, including flooding, and in 2003, a backhoe crashing through the walls of the downstairs studio.[1] On May 1, 2010, the studio closed its doors because of financial difficulties.[2] Following the closure, Madison filmmaker Wendy Schneider made a documentary on Smart Studios, The Smart Studios Story (2016), in which she interviewed artists, record producers, and engineers who worked in the facility.[3][4] Schneider's Madison-based production company, Coney Island Studios, produced the film. In 2012, the Wisconsin Historical Museum assembled an exhibit on the studio, Smart Sounds, Alt Music, Mad Scenes.[5] In September 2013, producer and musician Brian Liston re-opened the former Smart Studios facility as Clutch Sound.[6]
Contents
1 Selected list of albums recorded/mixed at Smart Studios
2 Producers and engineers associated with Smart Studios
3 References
4 External links
Selected list of albums recorded/mixed at Smart Studios
- Gary Sohmers' Windjammer: Dinosaur Rock - 1983
Killdozer: Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite -1984
The Mess: "It's All Wyrd"-1984
Killdozer: Snake Boy - 1985
The Mess: "Untitled"-1985
The Crucifucks: Wisconsin - 1986
Snowcake: Strangled/SceneZine EP - 1987
Killdozer: Little Baby Buntin' - 1988
Tar Babies: Honey Bubble - 1988-1989
Die Kreuzen: Gone Away EP - 1989
Killdozer: Twelve Point Buck - 1989
Nirvana: Nevermind – 1990 ("Polly")[7]
King Snake Roost: Ground Into the Dirt - 1990
Laughing Hyenas: Life of Crime - 1990
The Smashing Pumpkins: Gish – 1990-1991[8]
TAD: 8-Way Santa - 1991
The Young Fresh Fellows: Electric Bird Digest - 1991
L7: Bricks Are Heavy - 1991-1992[9]
The Rockin' Bones Second Chance To Dance - 1991-1992
Walt Mink: Miss Happiness - 1992
Chainsaw Kittens: Flipped Out in Singapore - 1992
Sky Pilot - Chicago Illinois - Mike DeFoy - 1992- Nirvana: Incesticide − 1992 ("Dive")[7]
Freedy Johnston: This Perfect World - 1994
Everclear: Sparkle and Fade - 1994[10]
Soul Asylum: Let Your Dim Light Shine - 1994-1995
Garbage: Garbage - 1994-1995
Sexepil: Sugar for the Soul - 1995
Archers of Loaf: All the Nations Airports - 1996
Walt Mink: Colossus - 1996
Garbage: Version 2.0 - 1997-98
Scott Fields: Five Frozen Eggs - 1997
Rainer Maria: Look Now Look Again - 1998
The Promise Ring: Boys + Girls EP - 1998
Citizen King: Mobile Estates - 1999
Rainer Maria: A Better Version of Me - 1999
Garbage: Beautiful Garbage - 2000-2001
Rainer Maria: Ears Ring EP - 2002
Rainer Maria: Long Knives Drawn - 2003
Fall Out Boy: Take This to Your Grave - 2003[11]
The Lovehammers: Murder on My Mind - 2003
Split Habit: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is - 2003
Garbage: Bleed Like Me - 2003-2004
As Tall as Lions: Lafcadio - 2004
Hawthorne Heights: The Silence in Black and White - 2004
Death Cab for Cutie: Plans - 2005[12]
- Various Artists: Under the Radar Vol. 1 - 2006
Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain - 2006
Jimmy Eat World: Chase This Light - 2006-2007
Tegan and Sara: The Con - 2007
Hotel Lights: Firecracker People - 2007
The Leftovers: On the Move - 2007
Charlemange: We Can Build An Island - 2007
Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs - 2007[13]
The Other Kids: Living in the Mirror (1985), Happy Home (1986), Grin (1990)- Festive Skeletons: World of Difference (1997)
Producers and engineers associated with Smart Studios
Butch Vig (founder, producer and engineer)
Steve Marker (founder, producer and engineer)
Mike Zirkel (studio manager, producer, engineer)
Chris Walla (producer, engineer)
Sean O'Keefe (producer, engineer)- Brandon Mason (producer, engineer)
Al Weatherhead (producer, engineer)
Beau Sorenson (producer, engineer)- Justin Perkins (producer, engineer)
Duke Erikson (producer and engineer)
Doug Olson (producer, engineer)
References
^ https://www.nme.com/news/music/garbage-75-1383829
^ David Wahlberg (January 9, 2010). "Smart Studios closing March 1". Madison.com. TownNews. Retrieved October 19, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Bob Koch (February 19, 2010). "Madison Music Scene & Heard: Smart Studios documentary; reuniting bands, Smart tapes". Isthmus. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
^ Kory Grow (March 6, 2014). "Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan and More Appear in Smart Studios Doc Trailer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
^ "Wisconsin Historical Museum looks at Madison's rock past in Smart Sounds, Alt Music, Mad Scenes". Isthmus. June 21, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
^ Michael Popke (June 26, 2014). "Clutch Sound brings music back to the old Smart Studios space". Isthmus. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
^ ab Heller, Jason (February 26, 2014). "Get Involved, Internet: Smart Studios doc will honor where Nirvana made history". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/feb/04/smart-studios-closure-nirvana
^ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7262662/butch-vig-on-nirvana-nevermind-the-smart-studios-story-exclusive-clip
^ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7262662/butch-vig-on-nirvana-nevermind-the-smart-studios-story-exclusive-clip
^ https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/dave-grohl-billy-corgan-and-more-appear-in-smart-studios-doc-trailer-76569/
^ https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/dave-grohl-billy-corgan-and-more-appear-in-smart-studios-doc-trailer-76569/
^ https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/dave-grohl-billy-corgan-and-more-appear-in-smart-studios-doc-trailer-76569/
External links
- Smart Studios website
- Clutch Sound website
The Smart Studios Story documentary website