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The Bakery (recording studio)

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Coordinates: 51°33′11.437″N 0°9′31.011″W / 51.55317694°N 0.15861417°W / 51.55317694; -0.15861417
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The Bakery
Main entrance of the Bakery in white
Map
Address4A Fleet Road, Hampstead
LocationLondon, England
Coordinates51°33′11.437″N 0°9′31.011″W / 51.55317694°N 0.15861417°W / 51.55317694; -0.15861417
Public transit
OwnerColdplay
TypeRecording studio
Opened2006; 18 years ago (2006)

The Bakery is a recording studio at 4A Fleet Road, Hampstead, London, England. It was first established in 2006 by British rock band Coldplay, as they wanted to have a place where they could "rehearse, write, work on artwork or just relax", following the release of X&Y (2005). The studio was built inside an old bakery and its foundation coincided with Phil Harvey's return to the group. Since Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), the place has been widely used for their projects. Coldplay then set up the Beehive in 2010, which serves as a sister building to the Bakery and was described as a larger and more modern facility.

Foundation

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After the release of X&Y (2005), Coldplay decided to build their own recording studio.[1] Chris Martin commented their former workplace felt dirty, subdued and the band were not properly talking to each other.[1] They bought an old bakery in 2006 to help them refocus and established it as their headquarters.[2] The building is located at 4A Fleet Road, Hampstead, London.[3] Its main entrance is intercalated between an estate agent and a restaurant.[4] Will Champion described it as a bigger version of Jonny Buckland's bedroom,[4] from the time the band studied at University College London.[5] Producers Dan Green and Rik Simpson helped to convert the place into a studio, which has their management offices above and is suitable for overdubbing, but hard to make full band recordings.[6]

Recording

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The first Coldplay album to be recorded at the Bakery was Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, starting from November 2006 until April 2008.[7] Champion stated the group would visit the building every day with no pressure and simply work on their music, marking a significant contrast with the experience they had on the previous studio, where most recordings ended up getting scrapped or had to be redone because more rehearsal and writing sessions were needed.[8] Furthermore, meetings coincided with Phil Harvey's return to the group.[9] The creative process was also accompanied by Brian Eno and Davide Rossi,[5] with the latter being responsible for introducing brand new songwriting, recording and experimentation techniques to them.[8] After Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was made available, the Bakery remained fully functional and was used for all of Coldplay's subsequent albums.[6]

The Beehive

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Opened in January 2010,[10] the Beehive is a former church hall at 17 Fleet Road which got converted into the Bakery's sister building.[11] Simpson claimed that it has a large space where he can record the entire band properly and, since they are all in the same room, it is better for communication.[6] The studio was originally designed to be a more contemporary facility, since its equipment include a Pro Tools HD system, a Slate Raven MTi touchscreen controller, racks full of outboard gear and an SSL Matrix console.[6] Moreover, Coldplay's best gear was said to be kept at the Beehive.[6] NME mentioned that the group rehearse every Thursday there.[12] Other musicians have used the building for recording as well, these include Ash,[13] Eno,[14] the High Wire,[15] and Peter Gabriel.[14] Between 2021 and 2023, the Beehive underwent a number of technical and structural renovations commissioned by Coldplay and handled by Green, who partnered with a specialized team from Miloco Builds, a subsidiary of Miloco Studios.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Coldplay on a Mission to Connect with Fans". Reuters. 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Coldplay: 20 Facts You Need to Know About the Band". Hits Radio. 17 January 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Coldplay, Il Concerto a Roma: 30 Curiosità Su Chris Martin (e Soci)" [Coldplay, the Concert in Rome: 30 Curiosities About Chris Martin (and Associates)]. Il Messaggero (in Italian). 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Step Inside Coldplay's Private Studio The Bakery with NME". NME. 28 January 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b Wild, Debs; Croft, Malcolm (2018). Life in Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay. ECW Press. p. 119. ISBN 9781787391093.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Inside Track: Coldplay Hymn for the Weekend". Sound On Sound. March 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends: Behind Coldplay's Sonic Revolution". Dig!. 12 June 2023. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Viva la Vida Biography". Coldplay Official Website. 24 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  9. ^ "We're About to Be Fed to the Lions". The Observer. 31 May 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  10. ^ "The Beehive's Clean Slate". Coldplay Timeline. 14 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Coldplay: 2011 Album Preview". Billboard. 21 January 2001. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  12. ^ "50 Geeky Facts You Didn't Know About Coldplay". NME. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  13. ^ Ash (2012). Little Infinity EP (liner notes). United Kingdom: Noyes Records. NR-031.
  14. ^ a b "Peter Gabriel Shares New Song The Court (Dark-Side Mix)". Clash. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Premiere: The High Wire – LNOE". Complex. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  16. ^ Miloco Studios [@milocostudios] (8 August 2023). "Another inspiring studio finished by the Miloco Builds team, this one for legendary band Coldplay" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023 – via Twitter.
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