ABOUT US
Founded by Aki Khan in 2006 Penny Lane Studios is a world-class recording studio and rehearsal space –with that distinct edge– nestled in the heart of Wynberg amidst a burgeoning garden and yard.
A plethora of factors meld into Penny Lane’s edge: Its hallmark of state of the art, premium, high-end audio equipment in seasoned hands and golden years. It’s services packages and pricing arising from the studio’s ultimate passion of promoting South African music, making the studio accessible to diverse voices and charting new territory in recording standards.
Be yours a thread requiring Studio Recording (Band Recording- Pre-Production/ Recording/ Production/ Arrangement/Editing/Mixing) Music Production (Jingles, Film, TV& Radio Commercials); Sound Design, Voice Over Recordings, Mixing and Mastering, Live Streaming, Film Production or Remote or Location Recording, there is no better Studio to add your thread to than to the many weaves already stringing the illustrious Penny Lane tapestry.
The Penny Lane weave 1985 to date
To say Penny Lane Studios in Wynberg is steeped in a rich history, is an understatement! Founder of Penny Lane Studios Aki Khan carried the seed for the establishment of a recording studio across 35 years. Seed in hand he traversed differing political landscapes and different venues but never let go of it nor lost sight of the value it could bring to both a time and a community. Perhaps it was the seed itself that would not let go of him. It knew too well the role it was destined to play, be it in Apartheid South Africa, post liberation South Africa and- remarkably- during the well disguised trojan horse attack on the globe, COVID-19.
Ours is an evolving story of a studio active in Apartheid in 1985 as a vehicle of change and transformation, a slumbering giant in post liberation South Africa and the enlivening of that giant to its full potential during COVID-19 April 2020.
It is tapestry woven by synchronous meetings, arrivals of architects who were to elevate the space and audio qualities of the studio into a different league and clients who added, and will continue to add, their particular hue to the evolving Penny Lane weave.
The Osterley Road studio cum music school sapling
Osterley Road Studio, was the two-year sapling raised in the heart of Apartheid 35 years ago (1985-1987). The fruits it bore at that specific time are symbols of political defiance and the gains to be gotten through cultural organisation. Osterley Road gave recognition to the idea that music could make a difference in people’s lives and that it was not only a powerful vehicle for change but a unifier in a divisive, highly stratified society.
Osterley Road, in the spirit of true resistance-was rough on the outside, powerful through the strength it leveraged through the energy engendered by the cultural collective. A garage turned sound-proof studio, through the use of egg-boxes, was home to musicians who could drop in to write songs or jam and keep the music flowing non-stop.
It was a cultural hub where the names of the time Basil Manenberg, Robbie Jansen, Jack Momple, amongst others, often came to rehearse and use the space as a base for creative writing and artistic expression.
Quickly, the collective realised that good musicians need to hone their skill. Enter Nick Carter. Osterley Road doubled up as a Musical School run by Nick.
Yes, the recordings made there were very basic. To boot, in those days, it was captured on cassette! That said, the recordings still sounded very good as we used analogue gear. Of essence was the artistic endeavours generated during those years. An opportunity had arisen to record some of the music that had been composed. Lloyd Ross from Shifty Records agreed to come and record it for R3000. Looking back, what an opportunity lost as that sum of money was beyond our reach at the time.
The architects of the studio
On Mandela’s 90th birthday in 2008, Aki wanted to master a good copy of the recording of the song ‘Nelson born in the land of the Sun’ written and sung by Cold Bones (and covered by Raakwys) in the 70s and 80s. As a gift to Madiba, Aki considered having the song re-recorded. He landed up in New Orleans where he met Fab Du Pont and Vance Powel. Big names in the Music and Recording Industry. Aki struck up a friendship with Fab and Vance and in 2009 the ground-breaking Sound Sessions was organised on South African soil. Through Sound Sessions, both Fab and Vance shared knowledge that previously was not available in South Africa and shared the techniques they used, making a huge impression on the recording environment.
The event was an amazing success. Fab recorded Freshly Ground’s new Album, RadioAfrica which won a SAMA award.
Fab was also instrumental in giving Penny Lane Studios its first professional make-over! Further, in prep for the Sound Sessions Workshop, both Fab and Vance seized the opportunity to influence the gearlist of Penny Lane Studio. Vance called Aki and requested an API 16 desk as a minimum and some ATC speakers. Fab on the other hand wanted the presence of Focals in the studio. The pictures of that time tell the story. All the gear purchased then is still housed at Penny Lane alongside a vast array of ribbon microphones, a U47 and U67s used in the golden years to produce excellent sound.
In a totally unrelated parallel, at the time Penny Lane Studios was established, a certain Michael Willson Trollip was a wonderous 8 years old. But already dreaming of his footprint in the recording industry! At the age of 10, when his peers were racing with Super Man, and a legion of superheroes, our whizz kid secured his first copy of ProTools and tried his hand at it! If that doesn’t sort the kids from the enrolled, pretty little would!
10 years on-in 2019-through a series of synchronicities, Aki was to meet up with this young talented Michael Wilson Trollip heralding the second major transformation of the studio. The studios services had been engaged for an event with Bishops High School, Joseph and the Techni-Coloured Dream Coat. Michael was Sound Designer for the Musical. We received a technical ryder- outrageously detailed- that it could not but catch Aki’s attention! And when the author of the technical ryder turned out to be the 19-year-old Michael, Aki was impressed! The synergy between Michael and Aki lay the basis for the transformation of both the acoustics and the space within Penny Lane Studios during that year.
In 2020 Micheael Wilson Trollip was accepted for a dual degree -Music Production and Film Scoring- at Berkley Colleage and was doing excellently before his studies were placed on hold by the Global pandemic. On his return to South Africa, he re-entered the collaborative stewardship of Penny Lane Studios.
Johnathan Butler’s whirlwind 2019 Penny Lane visit
Whilst still in process, nearing the end of 2019, Johnathan Butler called Aki out of the blue and asked if he had a studio at which he could record some songs. Johnathan posted his trip to the studio on Facebook and within a day 70000 people had seen the space!
Johnathan remarked that Penny Lane Studio was such an uplifting and creative experience for him. He exclaimed that that was the first time he had recording since the age of 13. He penned bout 5 songs whilst there and these were recorded at the Studio,
Stewardship of Penny Lane studios
The stewardship of Penny Lane Studio is a dynamic foursome. Book your session and meet up with faces that represent experience, creative flair, meticulous, organisation and structure and many other multiple talents to make your recording experience an extraordinary one.
Penny Lane’s lockdown CV
Ironically, the studio for years was seen as a white elephant that despite the many recordings produced never fulfilled its potential. In retrospect, in may have layed slumbering, waiting for its true calling- the Pandemic!
When South Africans came to bear the responsibility of Lock-down, Penny Lane Studios rose to the calling surging to the forefront of the Lockdown live-streaming events, be they music, comedy or simply as a space through which and within which artists could chisel new offers to a world overwhelmed by the unforeseen Covid-19 pandemic.
Like the garage in the 80s gave artists political clout, so Penny Lane Studios gave musicians, artists and organisations a means of dialoguing an artistic talk-back at Covid-19 and eeking out a different living from the shows they posted.
Penny Lane’s repertoire included shows with many artists including Jarred Rickets, Salome, Robin Pieters, Kyle Shephard, Nur Abrahams and more. Comedians hosting shows from Penny Lane included Pieter Dirk Uys, Alan Committee and Marc Lottering. We also showcased Cape Town in Concert as well as fundraisers for Cansathon and Cotlands.
Penny Lane Lockdown Highlighs
- Biggest Online Concert hosted with Marc Lottering: 18000 viewers
- Organisational Outreach: Bishops: Culture Unlocked series for staff and students
- Corporates like Old Mutual, Sanlam, Marie Grey and Associates send top motivational speakers (Bruce Whitfield) or artists (Zolani) to Penny Lane to do technical.