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Terms of use

All audio, artwork and computer code collectively 'content', including but not limited to the design, structure, selection, coordination, expression and arrangement of such content, contained on the site is owned, controlled or licensed by or to Lo-tek, and is protected by trade dress, copyright, patent and trademark laws, and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws.

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You may download MP3s and MP4s purposely made available by Lo-tek for downloading from the Site, provided that you (1) not remove any proprietary notice language in all copies of such documents, (2) use such information only for your personal, non-commercial informational purpose and do not copy or post such information on any networked computer or broadcast it in any media, (3) make no modifications to any such information, and (4) not make any additional representations or warranties relating to such documents.


Recording studios

Lo-tek studios is a purpose built digital recording facility in The Ashdown Forest. We are located half way between Tunbridge Wells (West Kent) and Crowborough (East Sussex) and record, programme mix and master music. We help singers, bands, songwriters, musicians, producers, dj's and rappers make high quality recordings of their music. Lo-tek is a better place to make music whether it's a demo cdr, a mix tape or an entire album for commercial release. We know how to give your music a truly professional finish. The studio is primarily designed for it's responses but it was also built with artists in mind - the control room and live rooms are all visually interesting helping singers and musicians stay focused without feeling any pressure from being in a studio.

Getting to Lo-tek... from London to Tunbridge Wells or Crowborough or station takes less than an hour. We are 15 minutes from Tunbridge Wells, 5 minutes from Crowborough and within 30 from East Grinstead, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Uckfield.


Recording equipment at lo-tek studios

Mixing console: Allen & Heath GS300 - 32 channel, 8 bus (plus Soundcraft portable 12 channel 2 bus) monitoring Yamaha NS10’s plus Sony 5.1 surround sound and sub woofer. Hardware includes: Apple Mac G5 dual processor, Apple Mac G4, MOTU digital audio interface: Further digital I/O is catered for by a pair of Toslink/ADAT lightpipe input and output connectors, which provide eight channels at 44.1kHz and 48kHz or four channels at high sample rates, and stereo S/PDIF in and out on dedicated RCA phonos, which can also be duplicated on the optical I/O. A standard ADAT 9-pin sync socket is provided for the sample accurate sync'ing of an ADAT or ADAT-compatible recording/playback device and there's now both word clock in and out on standard BNC connectors, so if you have a master clock unit, there's now somewhere to plug it. Usefully, the word clock circuitry can also follow and generate high and low sample rates so that, for example, you could be running at 44.1kHz but still lock to a double-speed 88.2kHz clock, or vice versa as selected in the MOTU Firewire Audio Console. The other welcome addition is a second Firewire socket, which makes life easier when you need to chain peripherals. Fostex hard disc recorder, e-magic midi converter. Logic Pro 6 - the most comprehensive program for professional music and audio production. It contains all Emagic plugins and software instruments, and full TDM integration. Logic gives you more than any package on earth. You don't need more plugins (though you can always add more if you want them) as the emagic stuff is first rate - the best package bundled with any sequencer. Logic Pro 6 is not a lot different than Logic Platinum 6. It looks the same but does feel a little better and on my system it is quite stable. You can check out my earlier review of Logic 6.3 to see the changes that occurred since version 5 (which was the last PC version). As one package Logic Pro 6 gives you a massive set of sound generators and processors. Bias, Roxio Toast. outboard Behringer compressors, Behringer noise gates, Akai (S900 MPC 2000) samplers, Roland (S-750) sampler, technics decks plus mixer, sony DAT recorder, Sony Minidisc recorders, Technics cassette recorder microphones Vocal: Audio Technica, Rode, Octava, Shure. Drums: AKG set (kick mic plus 3 drum mics). Various: Realistic PZM contact mics, SM58s, Audio Technica Pro 78.

Audio Production

Bombay Monkey

Already inviting favourable comparisons to the likes of Lemon Jelly, Avalanches and Handsome Boy Modelling School before putting out a record, Guy Martin and Andrew Phillips (aka Bombay Monkey) are prolific writer-producers who began working together in 2000 but have waited until 2005 to reveal the first fruits of their labours. Alhough essentially a duo, they also work regularly with singer Rosco John (formerly appeared with Archive) and DJ 1st Rate (an original Scratch Pervert who has also toured with Morcheeba and US3).

Having recently launched lo-tek, a custom–built studio on a remote farm in Kent, Bombay Monkey are working on more new material and plan to release two further mini albums and a full length longplayer in 2006. The Bombay Monkey boys describe their sound as being “not unlike alchemy. We are constantly searching for the perfect balance of numbers – high magic through high maths. We mix the past with the present and the organic with the chemical.” Disciplined enough to keep each of their compositions to around three minutes in length and with entire albums worth of guitar and string laden original vocal songs and tracks built around cannily chosen voice samples already archived.

Bombay Monkey’s brand of magic and science is channelled through an AKAI sampler and is at turns atmospheric, rhythmic, heady, melodic or just plain funny….and sometimes all five. Our intrepid duo have recently had some of their tracks played on XFM by Nick Luscombe on his Flomotion show, while their remix of Wasted by Mankato has been broadcast on Radio 1’s Blue Room. The title track of this debut mini-album was used on the Cybersonica04 cover mount of DJ magazine in November 2004.

The Corridor

One of the original lo-fi pioneers of electronica, The Corridor's first releases were (sabre of paradise) embody the 'punk' spirit of dance music. Since those forst 12"s, The Corridor's music evolved into even darker filmscapes as seen on the 'Serious Earth' album. The Corridor's had airplay on Radio 1, Radio 3 and Kiss 100 - quite a mix! A new album's worth of material nears completion and gigs are scheduled for Summer '06.

Origami Dinosaur

Winning collaboration of Andy Kinsey and Helen Durden (friends since they were 8 years old) comes to fruition with Bombay Monkey's production skills and Dan Pavely's bass. Add to this Yoko Omo with an ipod, and a great afro. and these guys really rock it.

Mr Thing

Mr. Thing aka Mark Bowles, first played out at Funky Buddha parties at the Tunbridge Wells Forum. He was soon became an original 'Scratch Pervert' along with Tony, Joel, and Paul. In 1999 this crew one the World DMC team championships (even more pleasingly, the final took place in New York)...

ITF - Euro Team Champion 1998
DMC - World Team Champion 1999
DMC - UK Champion (3rd in World) 2000

From the early years he's been as into collecting and playing tracks as he is into making beats. Which could explain why his beats are so good. In 2005 he's been recording albums with Tommy Evans and Yungun whilst his beats are in high demand from MC's all over the globe.

Tommy Evans

Tommy Evans lives in London but was born and grew up in Leeds. Tommy was introduced to hip hop in 1984 through Run DMC's "Walk This Way" and Roland Rat's "Rat Rappin’." After spells of casually breaking and graf writing, Tommy started rapping seriously in 1995 and linked with various crews on the Leeds scene. In ‘96 he formed the duo of Junkyard Tactics; their career highlight supporting De La Soul in ‘97. Tommy went solo in ‘98 linking with the then Huddersfield based YNR crew making his recording debut in 1999 on Jehst’s "Deadly Combination" on the "Premonitions" EP.
Tommy's collaborated with some of the top producers, MCs and singers in the country on material that's out there or in the pipeline: Neneh Cherry, Stereo MCs, Nightmares On Wax, Martina Topley-Bird (Tricky), Task Force, Lewis Parker, Jehst , Harry Love, Mark B, Braintax, Karl Hinds, Apollo, Mr. Wiz (Krispy), Diablo (Terra Firma), Bone Idols, Beyond There, Ayaman (The Planets), Foreign Beggars, Dark Circle, Ricochet, Dupa Styles, Doc Brown, LG & Lopez, and of course, all his YNR bredrins like Usmaan, Asaviour, Evil Ed and Cee-Why.

Current project is 'Odyssey' with beats from Mr Thing and special appearances from Mic Assasin, Wordsmith, Redskin and features an 8 MC possey cut.

Sound Sanctuary

Toby (vocals & guitar) Dave (vocals & bass) and Andy (vocals & percussion) have been writing music together since 1998 and played their first gigs together as 'The Glorious Amber Life'. Millzy joined on lead guitar in the spring of 2002 and 'Sound Sanctuary' was born.

Their experience of playing out was usually turning up at parties, being given an acoustic guitar and playing in kitchens, bedrooms and gardens. Being based in Kent (Badgers Mount, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge) there were few venues and they knew that they'd have to go to London. So in 2002 they played at 'The Rock Garden', 'Sound', 'The Kings Head', 'The Hope and Anchor' and 'W14', promoting a solo album (The Sound Sanctuary) that Toby had recorded at The Old Barn studio in the small village of Hildenborough. Anyone who's been to these venues will know how it works - loads of people from Kent would catch a train to support them but their music would not reach fresh ears. However the album itself showed Toby's song writing skills and help came from the strangest of places including Lynn Parsons who played several tracks on her night time Radio 2 show.

By the end of 2002 the band began writing together in Millzy's parents' (still not quite finished) house in Badgers Mount with a new confidence. It was then that producers Andy & Guy (Bombay Monkey) asked them if they'd like to work together at their soon to be finished studio 'Lo-Tek' based in the Ashdown Forest (Winnie the Pooh country). Bombay Monkey's experience was in electronica, dance, hip hop and Super Mario Karting. The duo had already made tracks for Ministry of Sound, DJ 1st Rate, and their own band Bombay Monkey but loved the acoustic side of Sound Sanctuary.

Between 2003 and 2004 the collaboration produced two demo CDRs which were played out at some of London's best acoustic music venues in the summer of 2004 before they returned to the studio to begin work on their debut release. 2005 will see 2 EP releases from Sound Sanctuary and the band will be returning to the cream of these venues in May and June this year to promote their debut EP Contact and (space permitting) introducing drums to the live experience. And the odd sample.