Reciprocal Recording
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Reciprocal Recording was the name of a
recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enou ...
in the Ballard neighborhood of
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
, United States that was founded in 1984 and officially closed in July 1991.


History

Chris Hanzsek Chris Hanzsek is an American musical engineer and record producer, living in Snohomish, Washington. He was co-founder, with then partner Tina Casale, of C/Z Records and their recording studio, Reciprocal Recording, in 1984. He produced bands i ...
and Tina Casale opened Reciprocal Recording in Seattle in 1984. It was originally located in an office suite next to a railroad switching yard in Seattle's Interbay neighborhood, and in 1985, the business moved to the "basement in Madrona" location. Later that year, Chris and Tina launched
C/Z Records C/Z Records was a Seattle-based punk rock record label that was established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale. It started with the release of '' Deep Six'' which collected the earliest recordings of what later came to be known as ...
while both producing at Ironwood Studios Recording, and in March 1986 they released the " Deep Six" compilation. In June 1986, Hanzsek partnered with
Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhoney, ...
to reopen Reciprocal Recording at 4230 Leary Way N.W. in the Ballard neighborhood. The small triangular building had formerly been home to Triangle Studios, and before then had been the site of a small neighborhood grocery, called Triangle Foods.
Chris Hanzsek Chris Hanzsek is an American musical engineer and record producer, living in Snohomish, Washington. He was co-founder, with then partner Tina Casale, of C/Z Records and their recording studio, Reciprocal Recording, in 1984. He produced bands i ...
was the original studio owner, and Jack Endino and Rich Hinklin worked closely under Hanzsek, both often filling the role of house producer. The studio was commissioned by indie rock bands from all over the United States, some of which were associated with
C/Z Records C/Z Records was a Seattle-based punk rock record label that was established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale. It started with the release of '' Deep Six'' which collected the earliest recordings of what later came to be known as ...
,
Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are oft ...
,
Amphetamine Reptile Amphetamine Reptile Records (or AmRep Industries) is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released '' Strap It On'', the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet wh ...
,
Twin Tone Twin/Tone Records was an independent record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which operated from 1977 until 1994. It was the original home of influential Minnesota bands the Replacements and Soul Asylum and was instrumental in helping the T ...
, and other independent labels. The studio specialized in grunge music, and recorded bands such as Soundgarden,
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. ...
, TAD, and Green River. The studio was also the site of the first
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
demo session on January 23, 1988.
Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhoney, ...
recorded ten new songs with the band, and afterwards sent a copy of the demo tape to
Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are oft ...
. Nirvana re-entered the studio a few months later to record ''
Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
''. Of the original demo session, 3 songs are on ''Bleach'', five are included (one a repeat) on ''
Incesticide is a compilation album by the American rock band Nirvana. It consists of their 1990 non-album single "Sliver", B-sides, demos, outtakes, cover versions, and radio broadcast recordings, and as such is not the official follow-up to the band's ...
'', and two were released on "
With the Lights Out ''With the Lights Out'' is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana released in November 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title ...
". Only one track, a version of
Spank Thru "Spank Thru" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears on the compilation album ''Sub Pop 200'', released in December 1988. Though rarely performed live beyond the first few years of th ...
, remains unreleased.


Post-Reciprocal Recording

Since Reciprocal closed in 1991, the Ballard building has housed a string of other recording studios. Rich Hinklin took over the building lease and managed a studio called
Word of Mouth Production A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consen ...
until mid-1993, while Chris Hanzsek opened Hanzsek Audio in another location in 1994. After Word of Mouth, the building was used from mid-1993 to late 2000 by
John Goodmanson John Goodmanson (born 1968) is an American recording engineer and indie rock record producer. He is best known for producing multiple albums by Bikini Kill, Blonde Redhead, Death Cab for Cutie, Los Campesinos!, and Sleater-Kinney. Selected di ...
and
Stu Hallerman Stu is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a shortened form (hypocorism) of Stuart or Stewart. It may refer to: Stuart * Stu Barnes (born 1970), Canadian retired National Hockey League player * Stu Block (born 1977), Canadian singer-so ...
for
John and Stu's Place John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
. Sleater Kinney recorded their seminal album ''
Dig Me Out ''Dig Me Out'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on April 8, 1997, by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1996 to January 1997 at John and Stu's Plac ...
'' at John and Stu's in the winter of 1996–97. In 2000,
Chris Walla Christopher Ryan Walla (born November 2, 1975) is an American musician, record producer, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie. Musical career Early bands While at Bo ...
of
Death Cab For Cutie Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (ke ...
renamed the studio ''Hall Of Justice Recording'' and recorded both his own and other bands there until 2004. Afterward, Death Cab For Cutie used the building as their rehearsal space, and, in 2008, Fleet Foxes took over the lease, renamed it ''Reciprocal'', and recorded part of their album Helplessness Blues there. In 2010, Walla once again took over the lease, renovated the building and studio, and re-opened Hall Of Justice in 2011, the name under which it operates today.


Recordings from Reciprocal

*'' Dry as a Bone'' - Green River *''
Screaming Life ''Screaming Life'' is the debut EP by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in October 1987 through Sub Pop Records. ''Screaming Life'' was later combined with the band's next EP, '' Fopp'' (1988), and released as the '' Screaming Life/Fop ...
'' - Soundgarden *''
Touch Me I'm Sick "Touch Me I'm Sick" is a song by the American alternative rock band Mudhoney. It was recorded in April 1988 at Seattle's Reciprocal Recording studio with producer Jack Endino. "Touch Me I'm Sick" was released as Mudhoney's debut single by inde ...
'' -
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. ...
* ''Hallowed Ground'' -
Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on several of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden, Screaming ...
*''
Superfuzz Bigmuff ''Superfuzz Bigmuff'' is the debut EP and first major release by the Seattle grunge band Mudhoney. It was released on October 20, 1988 through record label Sub Pop. The album was later re-released in 1990 in the form of ''Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Ea ...
'' -
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. ...
*'' Primal Rock Therapy'' - Blood Circus *'' God's Balls'' - Tad *'' Buzz Factory'' - Screaming Trees *''
Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
'' -
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
*'' Journey to the Center Of'' -
Cat Butt Cat Butt was a Seattle, Washington rock group, formed in 1987. Initially, the band did a short West Coast tour, and then went on to record their first full-length album, ''Journey to the Center Of'', which was produced by Jack Endino of Skin Y ...
* ''
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. ...
'' -
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. ...
* ''Another Pyrrhic Victory'' - Various Artists * '' Change Has Come - Screaming Trees * ''
Between the Eyes ''Between the Eyes'' is the debut single by Seattle-based rock band Love Battery, released in 1989. In 1990 and 1991, the release was expanded and reissued as an LP with bonus tracks. Critical reception The single landed at #36 on '' Pastes li ...
'' -
Love Battery Love Battery was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. History Love Battery was formed in 1989 by former rock band Room Nine leader Ron Nine (b. Ron Rudzitis), guitarist Kevin Whitworth (ex-Crisis Party), bassist Tommy "Bonehead" Sim ...
*''
The Winding Sheet ''The Winding Sheet'' is the debut studio album by alternative rock artist Mark Lanegan. It was released on May 1, 1990 on Sub Pop. The album was Lanegan's first solo work, and is notable in its departure from the characteristic sound of Screamin ...
'' -
Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the ...
*'' Fist Sized Chunks'' -
Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on several of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden, Screaming ...
*'' Inside Yours'' -
Gruntruck Gruntruck is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Seattle, Washington, by vocalist Ben McMillan and drummer Norman Scott, both previously from early Seattle sound pioneers Skin Yard. While in Skin Yard, Norman also briefly joined Soundgarde ...
*''
1000 Smiling Knuckles ''1000 Smiling Knuckles'' is the fourth studio album by American grunge band Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were a ...
'' -
Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on several of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden, Screaming ...
*''
Janitors of Tomorrow ''Janitors Of Tomorrow'' is the debut full-length album released by the band Gas Huffer Gas Huffer was an American garage rock band from Washington. They were known for their informal and comical lyrics and their antic-laden stage presenc ...
'' -
Gas Huffer Gas Huffer was an American garage rock band from Washington. They were known for their informal and comical lyrics and their antic-laden stage presence. History Gas Huffer classified themselves loosely in the garage punk genre. The band cre ...
*''
Return to Olympus ''Return to Olympus'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band Malfunkshun and the only album to feature both original vocalist Andrew Wood (later of Mother Love Bone) and Kevin Wood (later of Devilhead). The album was released after ...
'' -
Malfunkshun Malfunkshun is an alternative rock band formed in 1980 by Andrew Wood and his brother Kevin Wood. The band formed around the same time as other Washington state bands such as The U-Men (1980), Melvins (1983), Green River (1984), Soundgarden ...
*''
There's Nothing Wrong with Love ''There's Nothing Wrong with Love'' is the second full-length album released by American indie rock band Built to Spill.''There's Nothing Wrong with Love'' was recorded in May and June 1994, and released September 13, 1994, on the Up Records la ...
'' - Built to Spill


References


External links


Official


Official site for Hanzsek A/V Official site for Jack Endino
{{Coord, 47, 39, 30, N, 122, 21, 50, W, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-WA 1984 establishments in Washington (state) 1991 disestablishments in Washington (state) Buildings and structures in Seattle Companies based in Seattle Music of Seattle Recording studios in Washington (state) Triangular buildings