Studio to Stereo

Proud Galleries and Sony present an exhibition of iconic photographs that go behind-the-scenes and into the studio with some of the world’s most successful recording artists. The exhibition delivers a true experience of music as the artists intended and delves into the fastidious, compulsive and obsessive measures that artists explore to achieve the perfect sound.

Pioneers of High Resolution Audio - Sony, Proud Galleries and radio DJ Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music) are delighted to present this intriguing collection of photographs, never-before-seen in one exhibition.

The artists are captured by some of the most highly regarded photographers of the 20th Century (including Kevin Westenberg, Frank Lisciandro, Robert Whitaker, Andrew Whittuck, Matt Sav, Chris Walter and John Byrne Cooke) to a soundtrack of re-mastered tracks by The Doors, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Tame Impala, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and Bob Dylan.

‘Studio to Stereo’ offers music enthusiasts the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of the making of some of the world’s greatest songs and listen to the studio experience in greater detail than ever before. Hi-Res Audio brings out the tracks with greater clarity and range even than vinyl.

From Frank Lisciandro’s fly-on-the wall photo-session with The Doors while they were making of their final album, LA Woman, recorded in the bands offices and workshop on Santa Monica Boulevard, Jim Morrison was reported to have recorded vocals in the building’s bathroom to get the perfect echo, to Matt Sav capturing precious moments with Tame Impala when Kevin Parker refused to reveal the positioning of his snare microphone in the room in which he records lest others emulate it, this exhibition is a unique opportunity to be immersed in the music as the artists intended it to be heard: the clarity of every reverberation, the depth of every note, the sound of the air moving in the space they chose to record in.

Studio to Stereo is a two week exhibition that has been co-curated by Alex Proud of Proud Galleries in partnership with Sony.

Alex recalls; “Listening in Hi-Res Audio while looking through the exhibition edit inspired the collection of photographs we have curated, it evoked a whole new experience of the songs.

“Through this exhibition I’ve been able to explore the different and unique ways that artists set themselves up in the studio – you can now hear and see the magic. The rooms they choose, the way they set up the instruments and spread themselves across the space, the clothes they wear and the look they project while they’re recording, it all has an effect on the end sound”.

It is this meticulous obsession that Studio to Stereo seeks to explore visually and sonically, presenting the music as the artist intended it. Radio DJ Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music) also compiled comments from the artists and studio engineers themselves to get stories about the bands’ studio experiences. Tom also selected the tracks to be played alongside each of the photographs.

Tom Ravenscroft comments, “As a bit of music obsessive, it’s a treat to be given the opportunity to listen to music as the artist intended while they were making it and with Sony Hi-Res Audio you can do just that. The Studio to Stereo exhibition provides a stunning sensory experience.

Exploring these classic songs from some of the world’s greatest artists in Hi-Res Audio was like listening to them fresh from the studio – and that in turn meant that I could pick up subtleties, hear details I’d missed previously. It is a fab experience for music fans - bringing the imagery and sound together.”