Third Circle Recordings is a music recording and production service for bands, artists and musicians looking for organic yet powerful recordings, helmed by sound engineer James Gasson. That’s me. I use beautiful studios and large acoustic spaces with fantastic ambience to capture a naturalistic sound, drawing inspiration from the raw and uncompromising sonic aesthetic of legendary recording engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, PJ Harvey). My focus is on capturing the essence of your music in its purest form, no matter your scale or budget – from intimate solo projects to full-band productions – I’ll find the perfect studio setting to suit your needs and vision. Based in Brighton, I’m equipped to work either from my own studio or from any location that best serves your creative process. I am familiar with many studios across the UK and beyond. So join me at Third Circle Recordings, where we’ll embrace the character, personality, and spirit of your music to craft recordings that are truly, uniquely, yours.
The production experience begins in the studio, and choosing the right one is critical for your project. With my extensive knowledge of studios both in the UK and beyond, I can guide you through a curated selection of spaces renowned for their stunning natural acoustics, state-of-the-art technology, and comfortable yet stylish environments.
Whether you’re seeking a cozy retreat nestled in the countryside or a metropolitan facility in the heart of the city, I’ll assist you in finding the perfect studio to align with your budget and exceed your expectations. Rest assured, your music will be captured in a space that not only complements its unique sound but also inspires creativity and innovation at every turn.
Commonly this might entail spending a few days tracking the important stuff in a big, fancy studio, before heading back to my place for tea and overdubs.
Third Circle Recordings HQ is located in vibrant Brighton, on the South Coast. A dual-room, multi-track facility with a 5x6m live room, it is more modest in size than some of the larger spaces I work in, but it nevertheless packs a punch, and is a fantastic option for bands on a budget. Also doubling as a rehearsal space, bands can set up, rehearse, and discuss pre-production, all under one roof. For recordings, I use custom-built microphones strategically placed in acoustically rich locations to achieve an ambient sound that still produces powerful drum recordings. Read more about the studio here, and see below for a medley of material recorded there.
I take drum recording very seriously. The drum sound is one of the most integral components of a recording, and also one of the most misunderstood. After falling in love with the super ambient drum recordings of Steve Albini, characterised on albums such as Nirvana’s In Utero, The Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, PJ Harvey’s Rid Of Me, and many others, I have extensively studied such recording techniques, completing an internship at Albini’s Chicago studio, Electrical Audio, and subsequently shaping my approach to production around rich, ambient, naturalistic drum recordings using a variety of esoteric recording techniques.
Bands and artists should sound like their true selves, in all their wonderful, human uniqueness, yet in this digital culture we’re too quick to falsely represent ourselves. Our software screams at us to “fix” everything, until boring, generic “perfection” is achieved. My friends… we are not machines. We are human.
With a focus on mic techniques, room acoustics, the quality of the source instrument and the comfort of the performer, it is my belief that the most evocative recordings are achieved by faithfully capturing a “moment”; bands performing together as one, with all their human characteristics embraced and the acoustic environment faithfully represented.
When we work together I will do whatever it takes to help you realise your vision and to harness your true character, to embed that into the music that is so uniquely, so preciously, yours.
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