The Pet Sounds Recording Studio (usually referred to as simply Pet Sounds Studio or Pet Sounds, after
the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
'
album of the same name) was a
recording studio
A recording studio is a specialized facility for Sound recording and reproduction, recording and Audio mixing, mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home proje ...
located in
Denver, Colorado
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
(subsequently in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...
), founded by
Robert Schneider
Robert Peter Schneider (born March 9, 1971) is an American musician and mathematician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer of rock/pop band the Apples in Stereo and has produced and performed on albums by Neutral Milk ...
of
the Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo are an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant 6 Recording Company, Elephant 6 Collective. The band is largely the project of lead vocalist/guitarist/producer Robert Schneider, who writes the majority of the ba ...
and
Jim McIntyre of
Von Hemmling. Many
Elephant 6
The Elephant 6 Recording Company is a loosely defined musical collective from the United States. Notable bands associated with the collective include The Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Circulatory System, Elf Power, The Minders, Neutral Milk Hotel, ...
albums were recorded in the studio, including the critically acclaimed ''
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'' by
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed by Jeff Mangum in Ruston, Louisiana, in 1989. They were active until 1998, and then from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock and psy ...
.
It was demolished in 1999; a high-rise condominium was subsequently erected on the site.
History
Robert Schneider
Robert Peter Schneider (born March 9, 1971) is an American musician and mathematician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer of rock/pop band the Apples in Stereo and has produced and performed on albums by Neutral Milk ...
, one of the founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Co., began producing music for various Elephant 6 bands (including his own) in the mid-1990s. A number of these earlier recording sessions occurred at Schneider's friend Kyle Jones's house in Denver, Colorado. Jones referred to the studio as the "Sleeping Brotherhood" while Schneider called it "Pet Sounds".
It is also referred to as The Elephant 6 Recording Co. in the liner notes for albums such as
the Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo are an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant 6 Recording Company, Elephant 6 Collective. The band is largely the project of lead vocalist/guitarist/producer Robert Schneider, who writes the majority of the ba ...
's
''Hypnotic Suggestion'' EP. (
The Elephant 6 Recording Company
The Elephant 6 Recording Company is a loosely defined musical collective from the United States. Notable bands associated with the collective include The Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Circulatory System, Elf Power, The Minders, Neutral Milk Hotel, ...
would also briefly exist as a functional record label before simply referring to the collective of like-minded musicians.)
The first official incarnation of Pet Sounds Studio was created around 1997 after Schneider moved his recording equipment from Jones's residence to friend and ex-Apples member Jim McIntyre's residence at 1170 Elati Street. The studio in the house was decorated with detailed murals painted by
Steve Keene, originally for the Apples music video for "Tidal Wave". Recordings made in this studio include sessions for
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed by Jeff Mangum in Ruston, Louisiana, in 1989. They were active until 1998, and then from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock and psy ...
's ''
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'',
Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control were an American psychedelic band from Athens, Georgia that released two studio albums, a bonus disc, a singles collection and a live album between 1996 and 2000. The main members were Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, ...
's ''
Dusk at Cubist Castle''
and ''
Black Foliage'',
the Minders' ''
Hooray for Tuesday'',
the Apples in stereo
The Apples in Stereo are an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant 6 Recording Company, Elephant 6 Collective. The band is largely the project of lead vocalist/guitarist/producer Robert Schneider, who writes the majority of the ba ...
's ''
Tone Soul Evolution'', ''
Her Wallpaper Reverie'', ''
The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone'' and ''
Velocity of Sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. More simply, the speed of sound is how fast vibrations travel. At , the speed of sound in air is about , or in or one m ...
'', as well as early singles for McIntyre's solo project
Von Hemmling and many other albums from the Elephant 6 collective and the 1990s indie scene.
Other Pet Sounds Studio
Another Pet Sounds Studio existed in south London during the 1980s.
References
{{Pet Sounds
Demolished buildings and structures in Kentucky
Recording studios in the United States
Musical tributes to the Beach Boys
1999 disestablishments in Kentucky
Buildings and structures demolished in 1999