Studio 13 is a recording studio located in London. It's known for being the primary studio used for most of Damon Albarn's projects, including Gorillaz, Blur and The Good, The Bad & The Queen.
Phase One[]
Real Life[]
In 1998, co-creator Damon Albarn started work on the Gorillaz debut album, with the help of Dan the Automator, James Dring, Curtis Lynch Jr. and Jason Cox. Studio 13 was Damon's initial studio where they recorded the bulk of the album, before moving to Jamaica in 2000 to finish off the album. The majority of tracks from the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, the self-titled album and G-Sides were recorded at Studio 13, as seen in the Bananaz documentary.
Fictional[]
In September 1998, bass player Murdoc Niccals acquired Kong Studios, an abandoned studio in Essex with a troubled past. After assembling the entire band, Gorillaz started work on the Gorillaz debut album and other B-side and unreleased tracks. Similar to Damon, Gorillaz moved to Jamaica to finish the album.
Phase Two[]
Real Life[]
Sarm West Studios - where Demon Days was recorded
In 2004, for Demon Days and D-Sides, Damon started the recordings in the original Studio 13. This is where they recorded songs such as Bill Murray and Snakes And Ladders, once again seen in the Bananaz documentary. Later in the Bananaz documentary it shows the Demon Days Live recording at Sarm West Studios, but this was for the Demon Detour.
Fictional[]
In the fictional story, Noodle returned to Kong Studios in late 2003 to start work on the next Gorillaz album. The album was once again recorded in Kong Studios.
Phase Three[]
Real Life[]
In late 2008, for Plastic Beach, Damon moved studios which had a different paint job making it orange instead of the beige colour from before. 4 years after Demon Days recording Damon returned to the new studio 13 where the next Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, was recorded - As seen in The Making of Plastic Beach Documentary. Damon would move to different parts of the world to get different sounds for the album.
Fictional[]
After Murdoc burnt down Kong Studios, he moved to Plastic Beach where he recorded the album with singer 2-D. Similar to Damon, Murdoc also moved the world to get different world sounds.
Phase Four[]
Real Life[]
2-D, Damon, Jamie and Ben Mendelsohn in the studio
In 2016, Damon returned to Studio 13 where he started recording Humanz along with producer The Twilite Tone. Similar to nearly all other Gorillaz projects Damon and The Twilite Tone would move around to different studios.
Fictional[]
After Murdoc was captured by EMI and taken to a hidden jail, he was commissioned to write another Gorillaz album. The band recorded the album at Studio 13 despite living in the Spirit House at that time.
Phase Five[]
Real Life[]
During the Humanz Tour, in 2017, Damon started working on The Now Now which later continued to be produced in Studio 13. Since The Now Now was recorded in a short time span, Damon and producer James Ford most likely stayed in Studio 13 for the entire album process.
Fictional[]
With Murdoc in jail, Gorillaz set on making a new album. Gorillaz made The Now Now purely in Studio 13, and got the album finished with a total of 11 songs.
Phase Six[]
Real Life[]
Damon and Peter Hook in Studio 13
After having an extension added to the Studio, Damon started work on Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez in October 2019. When Lockdown started in March 2020, Damon Albarn moved to his makeshift studio in a barn in Devon. Then later in August 2021, Damon started working on the Meanwhile EP back in Studio 13.
Fictional[]
The West London Kong Studios
In 2020, it was announced that Studio 13 would be renamed to Kong Studios. The band now lives at the new West London Kong Studios.
Engineers and Producers who have worked in Studio 13[]
- Dan the Automator
- Jason Cox
- Tom Girling
- Curtis Lynch Jr.
- Ed Case
- Danger Mouse
- James Dring
- Stephen Sedgwick
- The Twilite Tone
- Remi Kabaka Jr.
- Jamie Principle
- James Ford
- Mike Dean
- P2J
- Prince Paul
- Joan As Police Woman