ABOUT
THE PROJECT
This site developed in stages. It began as an Honours thesis aiming to document a disappearing aspect of Melbourne recording history by interviewing key players in recording studio culture in the self-proclaimed Music City of Melbourne/Naarm. Site founder and key researcher, Lilith Lane is a musician, songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and lecturer in audio and the creative arts, and Art History Honours graduate of LaTrobe university. Initial data from this site is based on interviews conducted between 2017-2018 for a ‘snapshot’ of local recording culture. This site is a solution to expanding the project to include community contribution with the aim of building a public portal for this neglected aspect of popular music history developed as part of Masters of Creative Industries at the School of Audio Engineering.
It is an enormous task for one woman to document such an important aspect of popular music histories. In saying that, there have been many people who have contributed substantially to developing this website to the point it is at today. Enormous thanks must go to initial interview participants who generously offered their time, information and patience. Big thanks to the website construction team Nat Rowe with Hayley Marland, and Denisse Lopez Valdez for design concept. Huge thanks also to project supervisors Dr. Jodie Taylor and Dr Lola Montgomery for their invaluable support.
The recording studio living archive is naturally growing to include data on recording studios in other parts of the country and welcomes content from lesser-known music recording scenes. Enjoy, and feel free to contact us.
FOUNDER/CURATOR- Lilith Lane
Tidying up after moving house recently I finally opened a box of goodies that rarely see daylight.
This A+ school project from when I was a 13 year old girl, shows a young woman’s innocent observation of gender imbalance in popular music. A primitive pre-internet analysis of top ten artists, complete with incomplete data. My fictional band in the project, the Rhythm Cats includes a line-up of exclusively non-male musicians. The actual Top Ten compared to my Personal Top Ten is largely female. I rarely reference my high school projects in academic writing, but I think this little gem deserves some exposure.
This is my young self before she becomes a sound engineer, tours the world playing in bands, and writes a history thesis on recording studios. It is before she changes her name to reflect the feminist superheroine she’s become. Before she understands the impact of being a minority in hegemonic workspaces. It is well before she realises that she too is a unicorn.
I hope the evolving information on this site offers a reflective journey through the archive for all. It also welcomes contribution of gems from dusty archive boxes from those who’ve been part of making recorded music in Australia.
Much love and kindness,
July , 2021 (P.S. Find out more about my current projects & background in music & audio at www.lilithlane.com )