STUDIO INFLUENCES: Herbie Hancock, Mandrill, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, PE, Roy Ayers, John Coltrane, The Native Tongues, Fela Kuti, Marley Marl, Art Blakey, Pete Rock, Gang-Starr, Albert Ayler, Grandmaster Flash, Prince, RZA, Sly and The Family Stone, BDP, Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Augustus Pablo, Isaac Hayes, D'Angelo, Cymande, Rafael Saddiq, Muddy Waters, The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Timbaland, The Beatles, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra, Eddie Gale, James Brown, Cecil Taylor, Jodeci, Alice Coltrane and The Parliament Funkadelic...
Movies
I just got hip to Wong Kar Wai (so I am currently trying to gather up his best films), City of God, Dodgeball, Office Space, Memento, Scarface, Reservoir Dogs, The Killer, Blade Runner, Friday, The Usual Suspects, A Clockwork Orange, Kill Bill 1 and 2, Bound, 5 Deadly Venoms, Master Killer, Old School, State of Grace, The Godfather 1 & 2, Killer Priest, Anchorman, Nacho Libre, Apocolypse Now, 2001, The Empire Strikes Back, Revenge of the Sith, Clerks, Aliens, Mulholland Drive, Grindhouse, Indiana Jones trilogy, The Incredibles and Once Upon A Time in The West...werd.
Television
The Office (American & British), The Wire (P.I.P.), Carpoolers, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Rescue Me, Lost, Weeds, Nip Tuck, Battle of the Planets, FLCL, Adult Swim & Heroes...
Heroes
My Wife & of course, the people around me...
Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Dre, Marley Marl, The Zulu Nation, Pete Rock, Grandmaster Flash, Jimmy Douglass, Johnny Cash, Gamble and Huff, The Funk Brothers, Prince, RZA, John Woo, Francis Ford Coppola, Devante, Micheal Moore, Rick Rubin, The Bomb Squad, DJ Premier, Timbaland, Quincy Jones, Bob Power, Quentin Tarantino, Teo Macero, Rudy Van Gelder, Buddah Records, Stax Records, SUN Records, Rod Hui, Dangermouse, Hi Records and Flying Dutchman Records
"Music is like a saving grace thing. It's like a lovely thing that clumsy humans make with their bellies, throats, brains & hands. It's a beautiful endeavor that's not such an easy thing to capture in boxes full of vacuum tubes or transistors, and whether we fail or suceed on any given day in our dusty little recording studio, I feel like we're at least always striving to honor that endeavor, to cradle it a little & coax it a little the best we can." - Efrim Menuck from TapeOP magazine issue #47.
I am a 17-year veteran of the Carolinas music scene and have worked extensively w/ indie & major label acts of all genres (including Hip-Hop / R & B, Gospel, Rock, Jazz and Americana acts). In 1998, I opened the doors of Asylum Digital Recording Studios & have been working hard ever since to insure that, regardless of budget, each and every project is treated with the same care and priority as if it was our very own...
I am 1/3 of The Collection Agency, a production team that consists of Stephen Barrett, myself and Jason Michel. I am also a voting member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES).
At Asylum Digital, we are here for one reason - we LOVE music!
Each individual on our staff is a musician, songwriter or "audio junkie" by nature. It is this passion for sound recording that has attracted small project, indie and major label artists to us since day one.
Regardless of budget, each and every project is treated with the same care and priority as if it was our very own.
You record yourself, thats cool too. Ask how we can improve your mixes & help push your project ahead of the pack.
Below Are Some Recent Reviews Of Our Work:
Bullship "is/was" from The Charlotte Observer [4 stars of 4]
Not to belittle other Charlotte bands, but Bullship's "Is/Was" doesn't sound like a local production. There's something bigger, more citified about the trio-turned quartet's latest disc. It's as if the group spent the '90s absorbing Chicago's indie-rock movement. "Is/Was" begins with the double impact of "Ashes" and "Shaking Hands," the disc's poppiest moments. But with its stuttering percussion, aching vocals, jittery guitars and sweeping electronic arrangements, things quickly grow moody. The songs continually juxtapose grandeur and intimate, swelling indie-rock.
Bullship doesn't always follow standard rock format patterns. Guitarist Chris Holston, for instance, doesn't always duplicate his parts from verse to verse. Drummer Robert McLaughlin's sampled beats were culled from his own live drumming.
It's still early, but "Is/Was" is the most impressive local release so far this year.
-Courtney Devores
Bullship "is/was" from Shuffle Magazine [3 1/2 ears of 4]
Five years in, Bullship has unmoored
itself, and the result is immediately
evident in the song “Eastern Coastline”
off the band’s second release. It’s not a
wordy track, but the real talking is in the
silences. Brian Eno has his Music For
Airports, so call this music for driving
to airports – impending flight-fear in the
trebly guitar, back-pat reassurance in the
whispered vocals, joy in the atmospheric
bells and whistles that glitter like stars as
the plane finally flies off, escaping what’s
left behind: old flames and old ideas.
“Shaking Hands” is where Okkervil River
meets the Pavement. The horn-spiked
“You Are a Song” is sentimental in the
best way: all the way. Often called “math
rock” in regional media, Bullship might
better be defined by good ol’ addition
and subtraction. Out with the old: the
abrasive sharp edges of precocity; in with
the new: experience, and the wisdom to
let that bird sing.
-Timothy C. Davis
Reggie Rymes "Portrait of a Struggle" from Creative Loafing
The Deal: 27-year-old Raleigh native now living in the Q.C., hip-hop artist Reggie Rymes releases Portrait of a Struggle.
The Good: The nine-track disc focuses on the message more than the music. Not to detract from the beats, but the words are the centerpiece providing the message of struggles on the street and in life. Poetic lyrics keep it strong. The triple assault of Rymes, Solrac and V.I. on "Speedballin'" makes it the album's strongest track. The rhymes on "No Surprise" are reminiscent of Tupac.
The Bad: Not much to complain about. The music on the title track gets a bit long-winded at the end. I felt like I was watching a film's closing credits – the movie's always better than when the credits roll.
The Verdict: This isn't hip-hop with a hook. It takes a rougher approach that conveys more emotion in another example of quality hip-hop music that's being created in the Charlotte area.
-Jeff Hahne
haj "Outside Myself" from Creative Loafing
The Deal: Charlotte's Anthony J. Hamilton releases latest effort – no, not the R&B singer (note the "J.").
The Good: Recorded at Charlotte's Asylum Digital Recording Studio and mastered at Studio B, the album opens with the scratched-up "Fast Food" with an A Tribe Called Quest vibe. Just when you think the album will continue to be laid back, it gets funky with "I Got Options." The slow groove of "Music (Life Line)" gets sped up thanks to a quick beat laid over it. Haj also gets help on that track from LaVita Harris and Lloyd Williams for a solid vocal trio. The lyrics are mostly personal, giving the album more depth.
The Bad: The start of "Come Together" is a bit repetitive, but that's the only weak link on a solid 11-track, 45-minute disc.
The Verdict: A fresh sound that kicks back to the old days of hip-hop. Haj spits rhymes over music that might normally be heard behind soul music, giving it an easygoing vibe.
-Jeff Hahne
Feel free to visit our studio website @ http://www.asylumdigital.com or hit me up on AIM (my screen name is asylumdigi) ...
Our rates are as follows:
hourly rate is $60
8 hours: $400
24 hours: $1,200
40 hours: $2,000
All bookings require a 50% deposit on all time booked at least three days in advance.
Sessions of three hours or less require payment in full at least three days in advance.
Rates DO NOT include materials (CDR/DVD backups, hard drives, tape, etc...)
All sales are subject to 7.25% NC sales tax.
ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS!
Cancellation must be made 48 hours prior to the actual session.
Failure to comply WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF YOUR DEPOSIT!
***last updated 06-11-08***
SOME UPCOMING EVENTS*************
Every 1st & 3rd Friday of the month - Deep & Soulful w/ That Guy Smitty @ Loft 1523
Thursday, July 24th - Haj @ Prevue
Saturday, July 26 - The Houstons @ The Evening Muse
more coming soon***note - please email me dates & times if you would like your event to be posted (Also, I am going to start sending out weekly Myspace bulletins with dates and times).
**********************************
Get free music downloads, updates on your favorite local/regional artists & more by signing up to our newsletter below.(PLEASE NOTE - Myspace may give you an alert, but not to worry. This alert is because of a pop-up window that opens, not "phishing").
There are a few announcements that I would like to make.
We are really kicking up the graphics side of Asylum Digital with Shante, Sloan & Steve. We are currently working on a new website (to really showcase what these guys have been doing), but it is still a few weeks out... They will (of course) continue to service our recording clientele, but they are beginning to focus equally on the commercial client.
For photography, graphic design & web development - ranging from album layouts to corporate branding, make Asylum Digital your choice.
We are now offering "short-run" duplication. This is perfect for the client who just needs a few copies to shop around & the folks that are doing
mixtapes (or more properly mix CD's---LOL). We will do up to 500pcs and the turn-around time will usually just be a day or 2. We are able to make this extremely cost-effective for the client as well as providing only the best media available (Taiyo Yuden).
Please feel free to contact us for more info.
Sweet Irene is in the studio, finishing an amazing new collection of songs.
We spent the last 3 or 4 months really just vibing out & really listening to music, actually listening. Not just playing music in the background on the way to the store - LOL :). Just staying fresh - ya know? To be honest, its been a long while since I really LISTENED to music like this. Anyway, it has been a freeing experience & now (the new stuff) is flowing. We are putting it all together now & have begun mixing... This "yet-to-be titled" release will be once again available thru torrents (due to storage prices falling & bandwidth capacities soaring - look for things like full 24 bit .wav files, acapellas, etc being made available). But this record is being put together w/ vinyl in mind. With that said, we will be staying true to 17 or so minutes per side & we will be approaching mixing & mastering with fidelity & the listening experience in mind (not just loud square waves). I think that it is going to be an amazing record & can't wait for you all to hear it.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Also, you can download hi-resolution mp3's of the full-length release "Windows" from Sweet Irene here on Rapidshare or from a Mininova torrent for free / nada / zilch / zippo. Burn it, copy it, whatever... If you enjoy this music----pass it along. We've worked very hard on
getting this project off the ground over the past few months or so... & all the efforts are beginning to pay off. I have to say - this is one of those projects that was just an amazing experience from start to finish. Guest musicians on the project include: all the guys from Bullship, myself (Scott Slagle) & Ron Brendle. Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering did an absolutely fantastic job mastering this record. You can find out more here on The Sweet Irene Myspace page. Be sure to keep up as we will begin updating the look & feel of the page as well as posting new tracks very soon...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Preach is back in the studio w/ production from Marc Mac, Jah Free & Clokwork (among others).
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle
Greg Murray just finished "My Tribute" for Trumpet Praise Ministries. He just put together a 4-song promotional sampler to accompany "My Tribute" & is currently on a promotional tour in the South.
We just finished a new single for Deu M.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Oddfimmiliarz just finished working on a new collection of "Spiritual" Hip-Hop songs.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Kris Pillai has been busy over the past month working on a couple of songs for his website...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle
We've just wrapped up the loose ends on "Gorilla Grip Entertainment - The Mixtape Vol. 1" from Good Money. Check out there Myspace page for more information.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Reggie Rymes just finished "Gangsta" for the soundtrack of upcoming film, "Creepin' On The Come Up".
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
PMP is in the studio working on a release for this summer.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Bullship is back in the studio tracking for an upcoming EP with a few remixes & some surprises.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle
We recently wrapped up a couple of new tracks from mr. k and the famous. Really funky stuff! It just got mastered @ Studio B, so watch for updates on their page...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
This week, Fam Mobb is back working on another mixtape (still untitled)...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
"is/was" (the new record from Bullship) is available NOW on their website & Myspace. The mastering was done by Dave Harris @ Studio B & it sounds absolutely incredible! You can check them out here www.myspace.com/bullship & here www.bullship.com for exclusive music & some upcoming surprises like an upcoming EP for the summer.
Credits:recording engineers - Scott Slagle, Jason Michel; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
We have begun production on our 1st Asylum Digital compilation album. I am not completely sure how I want to go about it yet - but you can be sure that it will be a good listen and it will contain some surprises! I am just doing it as it comes :) LOL. We will only have a "very limited" number of CD's for promotional uses, but hi-resolution mp3's (and maybe even "uncompressed" .wav files) will be free for all to download via direct links &/or torrents.
Haj just finished his full-length record "OutSide MySelf" with production from Ry-Starr.
Credits:recording engineers - Scott Slagle & Jason Michel; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
K-Hurl has just completed his R&B EP "Compassion". He has it available from his MySpace page.
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
Lately, we have completed a TON of Hip-Hop mixtapes for (it seems like) everybody! So many, that it is honestly hard to even list them all.:) Keep pushin'!
K-Ha is back in the studio working on a few new club tracks w/ Colt. His project features production from BreakThru Entertainment & Ansane...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
"Scorching Hot Vol. 1" from Ra Sun has been finished. It features the Fam Mobb and is currently available...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
X-Cellence of Blaq House just finished a promotional EP (titled "I Am Legend") for his upcoming album. The production on the EP was mostly handled by Wood of Lions Den Productions. Steve recently put together the graphic layout for this release...
Credits:recording engineer - Scott Slagle; mix engineer - Scott Slagle
We recently acquired a beautiful sounding upright grand piano. It is tuned & sounds awesome! Here are a few pics of the piano movers getting this 600 pound beast up the 2
flights of steps inside our building. (Here I am, following them w/ a camera-I know they wanted to kick my ass!)
peace!
- Scott
Who I'd like to meet: other engineers, musicians, producers, vocalists, etc, etc, etc...
WUZ GOOD PEOPLES!!!! YOUR BOY PRODUK HAS DONE IT AGAIN. 2 NEW BANGING TRACKS ON THE PAGE. STOP BY, CHECK THEM OUT AND TELL ME WHAT U THINK. THESE TRACKS ARE 4 SALE. GET IT WHILE ITS HOTT!
