Studio 13 (also simply known as 13) is a recording studio in West London. It was founded by Damon Albarn in autumn 1996[1] with assistance from Tom Girling and Jason Cox. It's best known as Damon's primary studio for most of his projects, including Gorillaz, Blur and The Good, The Bad & The Queen.
It has also been used by many artists including Massive Attack, Paul Simonon, Frank OceanW, StormzyW, Dua LipaW, Jorja SmithW and many others.
Overview[]
Original Studio 13, circa 2002
The original iteration, called Unit 13, was based at Buspace Studios on Conlan Street.[2] The first track recorded at the studio was I'm Just a Killer for Your Love from Blur's fifth self-titled studio album.[3] In 2000, Jamie Hewlett set up his creative studio, Zombie Flesh Eaters, in the same building.
The majority of Gorillaz's self-titled debut album was recorded at 13, before being completed at Geejam Studios in Jamaica. Similarly, Demon Days was recorded at 13 and finished at the Pierce Rooms, where Damon met Stephen Sedgwick, who went on to become his head engineer at 13.[4] By 2006, the studio had been expanded to incorporate the adjoining Unit 12.
Following the purchase of a huge Neve VR 72 console (formerly belonging to Whitfield Street Studios)[5] and increased production demands, Damon and Jamie moved their studios to a larger building on Latimer Road in September 2007, a former paint factory workshop.[6] The first work recorded at the revamped 13 were demos for the Monkey opera, which eventually turned into the accompanying soundtrack album.[4] A number of production rooms were added to the second floor by 2014, replacing the office space that had previously housed Zombie Flesh Eaters. In 2017, producer Stephen Street moved his personal studio, The Bunker, built by Slow Glass Creative & Miloco Builds from Miloco'sW headquarters in Bermondsey to Studio 13.[7]
During Phase 6, Song Machine was to be set in Studio 13, with the animation of the characters being added to footage of Song Machine's recording sessions, but this was later made impossible when the COVID-19 pandemicW forced work to be done remotely and Hewlett ran out of Studio 13 footage, causing him to change the setting of the story, starting with Strange Timez being set in space.[8] During the lockdown, Damon was stuck in a makeshift studio in his barn in Devon. After the release of Cracker Island, Damon moved there permanently, turning 13 into a fully commercial studio.[9][10]
Personnel[]
- George Rutledge — studio manager (September 2019 — present)
- Stephen Sedgwick — head engineer (2004 — 2021)
- Samuel Egglenton — engineer (2014 — present)
- Ishaan Nimkar — engineer (2022 — present)
- Giacomo Vianello — engineer
- Jason Cox — engineer (1996 — 2017)
- Tom Girling — engineer (1996 — 2002)
- James Dring — assistant engineer (2004 — 2015)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
The recording studio at Kong
- The recording studio in Kong Studios was modelled after the original iteration of Studio 13.
- The studio is named after the number 13 busW, which stops right outside the original studio location.[11]
- Studio 13 was originally going to be a part of the main setting of Humanz, where Gorillaz were going to record material in a fictional replica of Studio 13 that was set next to it called Studio 14.[12]
Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Lyons, Christopher; Hynninen, Veikko. "The History of Blur - 1995-1997". Veikko's Blur Page. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023.
- ↑ Lowe, Zane (24 February 2023). "Damon Albarn: Studio Tour, 'Cracker Island' & Coachella". Apple Music, located at 1:13. Retrieved on 10 April 2025.
- ↑ Inglis, Sam (August 1999). "Damon Albarn's 13 Studio". Sound on Sound. Retrieved on 10 April 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Polymath (21 October 2014). "13 Reborn: Damon Albarn’s Studio (Part 1)". The Polymath Perspective. Retrieved on 10 April 2025.
- ↑ "Studio 13 - Overview". Miloco Studios. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020.
- ↑ "Studio 13". White Mark. Retrieved on 2 January 2026.
- ↑ "The Bunker - Overview". Miloco Studios. Retrieved on 10 April 2025.
- ↑ Wright, Lisa (6 November 2020). PLANET OF THE APES. DIY Magazine, p. 34. Damon Albarn Unofficial. Retrieved on 18 April 2025.
- ↑ Gunn, Charlotte (12 July 2023). "The Ballad of Damon". Consequence. Retrieved on 31 March 2025.
- ↑ Tingen, Paul (December 2023). "Inside Track: Jorja Smith 'Try Me'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved on 18 April 2025.
- ↑ Mclean, Craig (3 November 2023). "Blur". Damon Albarn Unofficial Archive. The Scotsman (13 September 1999). Retrieved on 4 January 2026.
- ↑ Sawyer, Miranda (30 April 2017). "Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett: ‘We fight over everything’". The Guardian. Retrieved on 10 April 2025.