With a career in music spanning over four decades, Tony Cousins has been there, done that and cut the lacquer for the original vinyl pressing.

Tony is the man responsible for the mastering of hundreds of your favourite albums, you just didn’t know it!

If you take a look at his discography you will see a wide variety of albums by artists from across the musical spectrum. From the Balkan Folk of Goran Bregović to the Modern Pop of Robbie Williams, Tony Cousins has leant his talents to some of the most popular and genre defining acts of the last 40 years. Here are just a few from a long list of our favourite songs to receive the Tony Cousins treatment.

The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony

A song that redefines the term “Anthem”. “Bittersweet Symphony” is synonymous with the very best that the Brit-Pop movement of the 90’s had to offer. The track is lush, dramatic and epic. Featuring a melody that once heard is not forgotten living on in the hearts of indie music fans as well as the general public. Richard Ashcroft’s voice never sounded better as he dwells on universal themes of beauty, pain and poverty. The album it was taken from “Urban Hymns” took the top spot in the UK, spawning several other hits for the band before going on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. 20 years on from its initial release Tony got the chance to revisit the project for a deluxe reissue, featuring a six LP box set containing previously unreleased material. On the first of September 2017, loyal fans from all over the world will be able to hear the classic album like they’ve never heard it before. The reissue will also allow “Urban Hymns” and it’s signature song “Bittersweet Symphony” to be discovered and obsessed over by a new generation all over again.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra – Perpetuum Mobile

Tony has always had a great respect for Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s guitarist and band leader Simon Jeffes.

“He had a wonderful and original musical mind and it worked in unconventional ways.”

Simon’s unorthodox approach to songwriting was best demonstrated when listening to songs like “Telephone and Rubber Band”, where its inspiration occurred whilst trying to call a friend. Instead of his friend’s voice, what he heard down the line was the telephone’s busy signal and a dial tone mixed together making a curious rhythmic pattern, so he recorded it onto his Walkman. He then used this as a backing to play along with using a rubber band as a string instrument. The track featured in this list however is 1987’s “Perpetuum Mobile”, from the “Signs of Life” album. It’s a timeless piece full of raw abstract emotion. It’s rich and warm with detailed and crisp strings providing endless musical flourishes. “Perpetuum Mobile”’s beauty still resonates to this day and is consistently used as an easy shortcut for TV and Film producers to convey awe and majesty, whether it’s in lofty documentaries on the Large Hadron Collider or future dystopian dramas such as 2017’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

Songhoy Blues – Soubour

Songhoy Blues deal in funky, gritty and dirty guitar riffs. The desert blues band have been playing music together since 2012 when guitarist Garba Touré was displaced from his home of Diré, located in the North of Mali, by Ansar Dine a Militant extremist group which banned music. Songhoy Blues started with the aim to recreate the atmosphere and music of the North and were soon discovered by Marc Antoine, the manager of Grammy nominated musical duo Amadou & Mariam, who then introduced the band to Damon Albarn and Nick Zimmer of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s who helped produce their debut record “Music in Exile”. The song “Soubour” featuring passionate and angry solos and an attitude and confidence that demands the listener’s attention.

Adele – Hometown Glory

Once upon a time there was a young fresh faced Brit School graduate from Tottenham named Adele Adkins. The precocious teenager had just a few very demos on myspace to her name before she was snapped up by leading independent label XL Recordings. Work soon began on what was to become seven times platinum selling debut album “19”. The first song Adele had ever written, “Hometown Glory”, was about where she grew up and leaving home and although it was not a commercial success initially, upon re-release it showed the world just what to expect from the young star in the making. Twinkling pianos and muted strings make up the song’s minimal backing, allowing Adele’s voice to take centre stage, laying the foundation for her future world domination.

“I remember listening to the first mixes as they came through and thinking “wow, this is going to be very good”.

Tony’s previous life as a bass player was also reawakened and excited listening to the album track “Best For Last” with it’s simple and powerful acoustic bass guitar accompaniment.

George Michael – Faith

When compiling this list one simple thought entered my mind: “You gotta have faith, faith faith”. Taken from George Michael’s debut solo album of the same name, ‘Faith’, has surprisingly minimal production. Featuring not much more than a killer lead vocal, acoustic guitar, LinnDrum machine, tambourine, hand claps and finger clicks, it is a far cry from the overblown and overproduced Pop music of the late 80’s.

“George was such a perfectionist so I knew when he came into the studio to finish the record it would already sound amazing. I remember the album came in on a Mitsubishi 16 bit DASH machine, which was said to be indestructible due to its fantastic error correction. The thing I was most taken aback by was the sparseness and freshness of the record..”

The track was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic and with its music video helped secure his status as a musical icon.[vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

To read more about Tony’s work, head over to his bio on the mastering website by clicking here…

Book the founding father of Metropolis Mastering, Tony Cousins, for your next mastering project by clicking here, or drop an email to mastering@https://www.thisismetropolis.com

Metropolis, the premier independent and professional recording studio in West London, is pleased to announce its appointment of agency OLEX Communications to represent them for brand partnerships.

Specialists in collaborations within music and entertainment, OLEX has worked across partnerships with many brands and global artists including Sennheiser, Gregory Porter and Focal and will be using their network of contacts to bring new opportunities to the studio.

“I am very excited and proud to be working with the biggest independent recording studio in Europe! The facilities at Metropolis studios are second to none and can offer innovative and content driven partnerships for all brands looking for a credible way to connect with music”.
Gemma Stenberg Director at OLEX Communications

“This is an exciting opportunity for Metropolis and OLEX Communications to build on the history, values and exceptional reputation of Metropolis. We pride ourselves on supporting an artists’ creativity and providing the environment to perform at their fullest potential. We look forward to partnering with brands who share these beliefs and creative values”.
Richard Connell CEO of Metropolis Studios

Find out more about Olex on their website…

Ellesse’s ‘Make It Music’ campaign returns with Fenech Soler.

Inspired by disco, old soul vocal harmony groups and an unwavering love of pop music, Fenech-Soler have already built an international underground following; and we’re massive fans.

Brothers Ben and Ross Duffy are pioneering British Electropop music with a sound infused by summery indie rock riffs and electronic synth notes.

Here’s the guys smashing a cover of ‘Show Me Love’ recorded live in Studio A. Head over to Ellesse’s blog for more by clicking here…

Grooving baselines, lo-fi alternative rock and TLC ‘esque’ R’n’B – you can always count on the genre bending feature The Playback to bring you the best in new music that we’ve worked on here at Metropolis Mastering…

Dama Scout – Paper Boy

Born from a melting pot of Glasgow and London, Dama Scout are a noise rock trio providing big melodies over grungy guitars and warm bass lines. The verse is angular and jagged which leads into a chorus that is the opposite. Chords whoosh and the hook is breathy, light and breezy. Paper Boy has just been released on 7” via RIP Records and all the profits of the single go to Arts Emergency an amazing charity based in London aiming to provide mentorship and access to creative courses for underprivileged teens. You can order the record from Dama Scout’s bandcamp…

Tender – Nadir

Tender have written one of my favourite bass lines in a good while! Congratulations Tender. I could probably write this whole review about how much I like the bass line to this song. In fact I might just do that. The bass line reminds me of the one from “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” off of The Killer’s debut album “Hot Fuss”. Only groovier. Much groovier. It is not so much a bass line you listen to but you feel. It dances around the octave like a 12 year old music reviewer danced around his bedroom to the aforementioned song by The Killers. Tender are playing Lovebox and Latitute Festivals in July and their album “Modern Addiction” is out on the 1st of September.

Punctual – What I Love

Bristol based Punctual are certainly right on time (sorry) delivering this classic summer soaked reminder that there is more heat coming after last weeks heatwave (or as it should be referred to from now as “The Great Fan Shortage of London”). So whether you are squeezed between exposed armpits on the tube or queuing up to buy a £6 can of Red Stripe at an overly sponsored but still apparently independent day festival be sure to have “What I Love” loaded up and pumped directly through your ear holes.

Bare Pale – Tasteless

This lo-fi alternative rock band really rev my engine. With an aesthetic that harks back to other legendary DIY acts like Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo and The Radio Dept, “Tasteless” demonstrates singer and songwriter Matt’s unquestionable ear for an earworm and hook, despite it’s more rough and ready delivery. The track builds and builds until a lead guitar is unleashed. It sounds like it is being wrestled, the notes fighting their way out of the amplifier with angst. The EP that Tasteless is from will be out on Vinyl in July via Lunar Ruins so get a copy whilst you can.

Wyvern Lingo – I Love You, Sadie

“I Love You, Sadie” is the kind of 90’s RnB smash that TLC and Destiny’s Child would be proud of. It is Wyvern Lingo, a three piece from Bray, that are responsible for this unapologetic banger and we at The Playback are grateful to them for it. It’s already been picked up by Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and it’s easy to hear why. The three part harmonies and soulful lead vocal are squeezed into this 3 minute slice of pop heaven. Tickets are currently available for their show at The Grand Social in Dublin on the 25th of August so catch them before they hit the big time!To keep up to date with all things Metropolis Mastering related check out our website…

Check out our Spotify playlist which we will be adding to as the year goes on with all our tips and recommendations…

Eliza and the Bear are back with ‘Higher’!

The boys are back and their new track is an absolute unashamed banger! ‘Higher’ is the first track the band have released since 2016’s self titled debut album, and clearly shows their intent for releasing upbeat party anthems.

You can listen to new track ‘Higher’, released via Metropolis Labels, on a digital service of your choice by clicking here…!

Find Eliza and the Bear… Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

Strong Asian Mothers (as well as having one of the best band names ever) have a sound distinctly theirs and comparing them to influences would be an arduous and ill-fated task…

We stand by what we said in The Playback in March, it really is quite impressive how the band can jump seamlessly between Hip-Hop, Indie-Pop, Electro and Trap styled beats. Strong Asian Mothers’ ‘Animal EP‘ was mastered here at Metropolis Mastering so we thought we’d catch up with the guys to find out more…
Tell us about the ‘Animal EP’… How do you think you’ve progressed musically on the new release compared to ‘Lynx Africa’.

Some of the songs are a bit more understated, a bit more experimental, but still with a Strong Asian blend of energy and emotion with a dash of pure fire.

Amer has also learned to play his instruments better… So he’s better at instruments.

We love the mix of synthpop, electro, hip-hip and trap coming through your records. It’s a real mash of styles… What’s the process behind building your tracks? Where does the idea start and how do you layer up instrumentation?

We’ll often start with a small idea or a beat, then flesh it out with chords then add melodies and lyrics. Usually we pass it between the three of us and each add our own little flavour to it.

Who have been your biggest musical influencers?

Hudson Mohawke, Outkast, Jai Paul, Hot Chip, Haydn.

If you could collaborate with any one artist at the moment, who would it be and why?

Kendrick cos pure fire.

What does the rest of 2017 hold for Strong Asian Mothers?

We’re releasing our first single soon, playing a bunch of wonderful festivals including Glastonbury, spending some quality time with our Mums and then hopefully achieving world domination sometime around the winter solstice.

Facebook // Website // Spotify // iTunes
For management please contact: marc.sheinman@seginternational.com
Bookings: Andyduggan@primarytalent.com

About Metropolis Mastering

Metropolis Mastering was founded in 1993 with the intention of redefining international standards. That same passion, ambition and commitment is still the force that drives us today. Our five mastering suites were designed and built to the highest possible specification, offering the best environment for critical listening, and equipped with some of the most sought after mastering equipment around.

Find out more about the Metropolis Mastering team.

The Great Escape is very much Britain’s version of SXSW in Texas.

On every corner is a singer songwriter earnestly plucking on an acoustic guitar, every bar, pub and cafe is turned into an improvised venue and the whole of London descends on Brighton like a flock of aggressive seagulls hoping to discover the next big thing. Here are five of the acts Metropolis has worked with that also rather fortuitously rocked The Great Escape.

Yowl – My Headache Likes To Speak

South London’s Yowl took to the stage at Bleach with consummate ease. With minimal to no “Stage bantz” Yowl got in with chugging out wiry guitar led tunes. The major highlights being the latest single “My Headache Likes To Speak” and the moment singer Gabriel Byrde jumped into the crowd to perform more intimately for their already impressively sized army of fans. In between songs the crowd yowled at the top of their lungs and the band responded by blitzing through tracks from last years EP with speed and precision. You can next see them play The Macbeth of Hoxton on the 16th of June.

Fake Laugh – Melt

Just 30 seconds up the road from Bleach, it is upstairs at The Joker I see Fake Laugh. With their debut album coming out on Headcount Records on the 28th of July singer Kam has the sweaty crowd swaying and dancing with every one of his guitars jangly strums. The band sound super tight and they proceed to rattle out some tunes from the upcoming debut LP as well as some crowd favourites from last years Great Ideas EP. You can catch Fake Laugh playing some in-stores in promotion of their upcoming album at Rough Trade Nottingham and Rough Trade East on the 31st of July and the 1st of August respectively.

HMLTD – To The Door

One of the bands with the biggest buzz around them at this year’s festival was HMLTD. These art punks have drawn a lot of attention because of their unconventional songs and individual members looks. HMLTD’s songs can turn from stomping glam rock to motoring drum and bass rhythms on a dime whilst the lead singer Henry Spychalski demands all the attention, strutting around with his blue mullet and lack of a top. With the release of their third single “To The Door” HMLTD have issued a statement of intent. It is one to be taken seriously but not TOO seriously as to ignore the pantomime fun and attitude of the group. You can catch HMLTD at Field Day this weekend.

Honey Hah’s – Beer Fear

Surrounded by chatty delegates on Jubilee Street stand three young sisters. They wait patiently as the sound system pumps out generic dance music. When their set starts I realise I am standing next to their parents, signalling for the youngest member Sylvie (9!) to stand closer to her microphone. Robin, the 11 year old bassist and one of the singers, holds a McCartney style Hofner violin bass that looks almost comically too big for her. After a quick tuning of a guitar the Honey Hah’s play with a confidence and style that belies their years. They also are the only band that I saw at The Great Escape to perform an overtly political song about a nasty man determined to build walls who needs to be stopped. They have a 7” produced by Pulp’s Steve Mackey out on Rough Trade soon.

Our Girl – Being Around

Our Girl’s Soph Nathan has long been this writer’s nominee for the award I made up just now called “Hardest Working Person in Rock and Roll”. Not just content with being the frontwoman of this Brighton based grunge three piece, Soph also plays with The Big Moon as well as Marika Hackman. I caught Our Girl twice over the weekend. First, cramped into the sweaty Castle Street Gym and then packed into the Hope & Ruin pub. At both venues there were fans singing along to songs from their “Normally” EP and “Sleeper” single released on Cannibal Hymns. You can catch Our Girl supporting Marika Hackman on tour and then at their biggest headline show yet at The Lexington on the 13th of September.To keep up to date with all things Metropolis Mastering related check out our website…

Check out our Spotify playlist which we will be adding to as the year goes on with all our tips and recommendations…

The Playback

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B-side project launches 2017 annual global remix contest to find emerging music talent.

Registration for B-Side Project 2017 is officially open, marking the seventh consecutive year of the renowned, global remix contest. Musicians, singer-songwriters, bands and composers of all genres are invited to enter (by clicking here…) before 30th June. 50 original tracks will then be shortlisted and paired with registered electronic music producers from around the world, to remix these tracks before the 31st October deadline. The B-Side Project, now officially in association with Sound On Sound, and sponsored by Prism Sound for a third year, creates networks between musicians, producers and the wider industry, merging genres and providing real world opportunities to release their music, alongside additional platforms to amplify their careers. Leading manufacturer of studio microphones and headphones, Shure, is a new sponsor for the 2017 phase.

The winner of ‘overall best remix’ can expect a glittering array of prizes and opportunities, worth over $20,000, including, a Lyra Pro Audio Interface (also awarded to the musician / band who entered the original track), acoustic panels from GIK Acoustics, mic and headphones from Shure and Audio Technica, custom-made ear protection from ACS, product from ROLI and more! Individual awards can be won plus the chance to gain record releases – a huge opportunity for both original artists and remix producers.

The winning producer will be invited to watch their track being mastered here at Metropolis Studios in London, where artists such as The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, The Who and Amy Winehouse have all recorded. Each of the original and remix tracks in the top 10 will be mastered here and featured on an album to be digitally released on B-Side Recordings (distributed by Republic of Music), in early 2018.

Last year’s B-Side Project saw 400 entrants from over 40 countries take part in a competition of the highest standards. In 2017 expect even more entries and the bar to be raised yet further, with the winner revealed at an awards event at Metropolis Studios in London in December. This event will also be streamed live on the internet offering wider exposure for the winner.

With the help of industry sponsors and partners, this year including Prism Sound, WhoSampled, 8Stem, Minirigs and more, B-Side Project has helped numerous producers and artists since its start in 2009. 2014 winner Hugh Hardie is now signed to Hospital Records and continues to enjoy a successful career. He joins the judging panel again this year.

The judging panel is an indicator of the high regard in which B-Side Project is held within the industry. Last year’s judges are returning, including Roni Size, Utah Saints, Hugh Hardie, Matt Schwartz, Cut La Roc, Nu:Tone, Estelle Rubio, Talvin Singh, Studio DMI’s mixing and Grammy Award winners, La Roux plus mastering virtuoso, Luca Protelesi. In addition to this wealth of experience, also joining the panel for 2017 are chart-topping Clean Bandit, grime and hiphop producer S-X, as well as Claudio Passavanti, founder of Doctor Mix and Sunlightsquare Records, plus Subpop founder Bruce Pavitt with his 8Stem co-owner Adam Farish.

For any artist trying to get a foothold in a highly competitive industry, B-Side Project offers a rare opportunity; an established global contest offering a widely-promoted platform for new music, access to industry professionals, potential publishing and recording deals, a huge prize package and the chance to create an invaluable network of contacts. B-Side Project helps emerging music talent build careers.

Don’t forget to enter before the 30th June…