The Farm (recording studio)
51°05′20″N 0°36′39″W / 51.088934°N 0.610839°W
 The Farm in 2006 | |
| Company type | Recording studio |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | November 1980 |
Area served | Fisher Lane, Chiddingfold, Surrey |
The Farm (also known as Fisher Lane Farm) was a recording studio in Chiddingfold, Surrey owned by the rock band Genesis. The group bought the property in 1980 and, after remodelling it into a studio, recorded every studio album there between Abacab (1981) and Calling All Stations (1997), in addition to production and mixing work, and solo projects from the individual members.[1]
History
The 80-acre estate is situated on Fisher Lane and was a former dairy farm that initially consisted of a Grade II listed 16th century farmhouse and a single cowshed.[2][3] Genesis had wanted their own facility to write, record, and master for several years, avoiding the costs and time constraints involved from working in commercial studios, and wanted a place close to their own homes.[2] After buying the property in November 1980, the cowshed was remodelled into a recording studio in four months. Longtime Genesis technician Geoff Callingham recalled the intense building work and said it would have been easier to demolish the old shed and build a new studio from scratch, but British planning regulations created setbacks and the band were keen to start recording, so a new building was constructed inside the shed.[2] Abacab (1981) was the band's first album recorded at The Farm, but the writing of which was done inside the farmhouse while construction was ongoing.[2]
The studio's initial setup was designed by architect John Flynn, the control room of which was described as "rather small and dark".
In 1984, a new control room was added to the building, leaving the original control room to be an editing room. By this time, the studio had various acoustic modifications by Andy Munro.
In later years The Farm was mainly used for mixing and production and hired out to other musicians, including N-Dubz.[3][6] In March 2016, the studio filed for insolvency.[7] In 2022, Banks said that the studio no longer exists and much of the equipment was sold. He bought Rutherford's share of the estate in order for his son to start converting the former barn into a residence.[6]
References
- ^ "The Trip to the Farm (Genesis Recording Studio)". theeviljam.co.uk. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Tingen, Paul (July 1992). "Genesis: At home in the studio". Recording Musician. pp. 38–40, 42. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- ^ a b c Harrap, Caroline (28 June 2013). "Down the farm with Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford". Surrey Life. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Studio Update" (PDF). Recording Engineer/Producer. August 1981. p. 122. Retrieved 10 April 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ^ "Diary: Contracts" (PDF). Studio Sound. September 1985. p. 30. Retrieved 10 April 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ^ a b Barnes, Stuart (1 December 2022). ""9,000+ words in 55 minutes!" - Tony Banks in conversation with Stuart Barnes". The Waiting Room Online. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Notices to Creditors". thegazette.co.uk. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
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