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| Orinoco Studios | |
|---|---|
| Name | Orinoco Studios |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Type | Recording studio |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Founder | Unknown |
| Notable clients | See article |
Orinoco Studios Orinoco Studios was a London-based recording complex noted for its contributions to popular music, electronic music, and soundtrack production during the late 20th century. The studio attracted artists from across the United Kingdom and internationally, serving as a nexus for collaborations among figures associated with EMI Records, Virgin Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Bros. Records and independent labels. Orinoco's profile rose alongside contemporaries such as Abbey Road Studios, Trident Studios, AIR Studios, and The Townhouse.
Orinoco Studios emerged in the 1980s amid the expansion of the British recording industry and the rise of synthesizer-driven pop associated with Synth-pop, New Wave, and the second British Invasion. During this period the studio intersected with producers and artists linked to George Martin, Trevor Horn, Quincy Jones, Brian Eno, Phil Spector, and Mutt Lange. Orinoco was active through the late 1980s and 1990s, overlapping with events such as the evolution of MTV Europe and the transition from analog to digital media led by formats promoted by Sony Corporation, Philips, and Dolby Laboratories. The studio's timeline includes sessions that coincided with releases on labels like RCA Records, Island Records, Sire Records, and Columbia Records.
Orinoco's facilities combined large-format consoles, isolated live rooms, and mixing suites that paralleled equipment found at Abbey Road Studios, Olympic Studios, and AIR Studios George Martin. The studio installed analog consoles reminiscent of designs by Neve Electronics, SSL (Solid State Logic), and outboard gear from Universal Audio, API, and dbx; monitoring systems referenced manufacturers such as Yamaha Corporation, Bowers & Wilkins, and JBL. Orinoco embraced digital recording technologies introduced by Sony Digital Audio Workstation, Alesis, Akai sampling hardware, and early implementations of Pro Tools software developed by Digidesign. For mastering and post-production the studio worked with engineers experienced with standards promoted by The Mastering System, RIAA, and industry practices used on releases for Warner Music Group, Capitol Records, and Polydor Records.
Sessions at Orinoco included contributions from artists and acts associated with David Bowie, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Madonna, Prince (musician), U2, New Order, Simple Minds, Talk Talk, Spandau Ballet, Tears for Fears, The Smiths, Eurythmics, Sade, Erasure, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Kate Bush, Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John, Peter Gabriel, George Michael, Oasis (band), Blur (band), Pulp (band), Adele (singer), Coldplay, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead, The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Underworld (band), Björn Ulvaeus, ABBA, Enya, Roxy Music, Howard Jones (musician), Bryan Ferry, Siouxsie Sioux, Björk, Laurie Anderson, Nigel Godrich, Mark Ronson, St. Vincent (musician), Sinead O'Connor, Morrissey, Elvis Costello, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd., Joy Division—among others who recorded in London during the same era and whose networks intersected with Orinoco's client list or personnel.
Engineers and producers who worked at Orinoco were often connected to the same talent pools as Trevor Horn, Stephen Lipson, Chris Thomas (record producer), Flood (producer), Steve Lillywhite, Alan Parsons, John Leckie, Phil Thornalley, Hugh Padgham, Steve Nye, Tony Visconti, Andy Wallace (producer), Bob Clearmountain, Jonathan Elias, Howie B, Mick Glossop, John Fryer, Tim Palmer, Jacknife Lee, Paul Oakenfold, Danny Saber, Mark 'Spike' Stent, Richie Zito, Tony Mansfield, and studio managers with ties to PRS for Music and Musicians' Union (United Kingdom). Assistants and session musicians associated with orchestration, string arrangements, and programming often moved between Orinoco and facilities such as Royal Albert Hall, BBC Radiophonic Workshop, London Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Studios.
Orinoco's commercial operations interfaced with major and independent labels including EMI, Virgin Records, Island Records, RCA, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. The studio negotiated studio time, production contracts, and royalties with publishers and administrators like PRS for Music, BMI, ASCAP, and sync licensing houses that placed music in BBC Television and ITV (TV network). Its billing, staffing, and equipment procurement reflected procurement practices common to facilities engaging with corporate entities such as Yamaha Corporation, Neve Electronics, Sony, and leasing providers linked to HM Revenue and Customs regulations for capital expenditure.
Orinoco contributed to the sonic identity of late 20th-century British popular music alongside hubs like Abbey Road Studios, Trident Studios, Olympic Studios, and AIR Studios George Martin. Its sessions influenced producers and engineers who later worked with acts across genres associated with Britpop, Trip hop, Electronica, Dance music, and soundtrack composition for films produced by Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. The studio's legacy persists in the careers of engineers and producers who trained there and in recordings released on labels such as Island Records, Parlophone, RCA Records, and Columbia Records.
Category:Recording studios in the United Kingdom