The Hangar was a Sacramento recording studio, housed in a downtown warehouse and owned by John Baccigaluppi, publisher of Tape Op magazine.[1][2] Described by Submerge as a "legendary" and "arguably one of Sacramento's most credible recording studios," it operated for over two decades at its downtown location before closing in March 2013.[3][4] Founded in 1990, the studio ran for approximately 23 years before its closure in April 2013.[5]
At a glance
- Sacramento recording studio in a downtown warehouse that had once been a punk venue.[6]
- Owned by John Baccigaluppi, publisher of Tape Op magazine.[6]
- Founded 1990; operated approximately 23 years before closing April 2013.[5]
- Approximately 11,000 square feet; rented at $200 per day.[5]
- Described as "the only affordable large recording studio on the west Coast."[7]
- In-house engineers/producers associated with it included Chris Woodhouse, Scott McShane (McChane), Robert "Flossy" Cheek, and Christian Kiefer.[4][8][2][9]
- Closed at its downtown location in April 2013 after approximately 23 years.[5]
- After closing, the studio was moved to a house near Mount Tamalpais overlooking the Pacific and Point Reyes and turned into a residential studio.[3]
History and location
The Hangar occupied a large downtown Sacramento warehouse that had previously been a punk venue.[6] It was owned by John Baccigaluppi, publisher of the recording-industry magazine Tape Op; the studio's door bore a bell labeled "Tape Op."[6] Founded in 1990, it operated for approximately 23 years at its downtown location before closing in April 2013.[5] The studio measured approximately 11,000 square feet and rented for $200 per day, making it accessible to bands on limited budgets.[5][7] According to a Vice interview with Baccigaluppi, he considered The Hangar "the only affordable large recording studio on the west Coast," and kept rates accessible for smaller-budget bands as a deliberate priority.[7]
By the time of its closure, Submerge reported it had operated "over two decades" — "20-some-odd years" — at that downtown site.[3] The closure was driven by the building's deteriorating roof: the landlord initiated renovations, and the resulting rent increase was one Baccigaluppi could not afford.[5][7]
In a blog post dated Feb. 18, 2013, Baccigaluppi announced the studio would record its last band at the space in March 2013 and move out, ending its multi-decade run in the building.[3] He noted "celeb type moments" at the studio over the years, including cameos from Kanye West and Ian MacKaye.[3] After closing, The Hangar was relocated to a house at the base of Mount Tamalpais, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Point Reyes, where it would become a residential studio.[3] Baccigaluppi also said he and engineer Chris Woodhouse were building a new studio a few blocks from The Hangar's former downtown location, in the historic General Produce Building.[3]
Notable clients
Beyond Sacramento-area artists (see below), The Hangar attracted a range of nationally recognized acts. According to the Vice interview with Baccigaluppi, notable clients included Devendra Banhart, Little Wings, Ty Segall, Alela Diane, Wild Flag, Lavender Diamond, Bright Black Morning Light, and Kanye West.[7][5]
Thee Oh Sees' album Floating Coffin (2013) was recorded at The Hangar in December 2012, with Chris Woodhouse serving as recording engineer, mixer, and percussionist; it was also the first Thee Oh Sees album that Woodhouse mastered (prior albums had mastering handled by a third party).[10][7]
Engineers and producers
Several engineers and producers worked at or out of The Hangar:
- John Baccigaluppi — owner; Tape Op publisher. He discovered singer Julie Ann Bee (Sea of Bees) when he overheard her singing in the studio while her then-band Find Me Fighting Them was recording there, then mentored her through her first EP and album.[6]
- Chris Woodhouse — Hangar engineer known for live tracking, room sound, and mic placement; credited by Submerge with recording all eight Thee Oh Sees records (at the time) and the A Frames, and with a recognizable "Woodhouse touch."[4] He recorded G. Green's Area Codes there.[4] He also served as engineer, mixer, percussionist, and (for the first time) mastering engineer on Thee Oh Sees' Floating Coffin, recorded at The Hangar in December 2012.[10]
- Scott McShane (also spelled McChane) — engineer who produced Sister Crayon's recordings at The Hangar.[8][2]
- Robert "Flossy" Cheek — producer/mixer/engineer; mixed Sherman Baker's Seventeenth Street at The Hangar and produced/engineered The Speed of Sound in Seawater's Underwater Tell Each Other Secrets there.[1][11]
- Christian Kiefer — worked with Silver Darling on their album, recorded at The Hangar.[9]
Recordings made at The Hangar
The corpus documents a range of Sacramento-area artists who recorded or mixed at The Hangar:
- Silver Darling — recorded their first full-length, Your Ghost Fits My Skin, at The Hangar over three days (with a fourth day for post-production), working with Christian Kiefer; the album was released on Crossbill Records in 2008.[9]
- Prieta — recorded their EP Sleep All Night at The Hangar with Joe Finocchio (of Different Fur Studios, San Francisco).[12]
- Sister Crayon — recorded/mixed both Enter Into Holy (Or)ders and the LP Bellow at The Hangar with Scott McShane, logging 14–18-hour days; the band described the sessions as intense and a "guerilla recording style."[8][2]
- Sea of Bees (Julie Ann Bee) — recorded her EP Bee Eee Pee and the album Songs for the Ravens at The Hangar with John Baccigaluppi, beginning when he discovered her there.[6] The studio's engineer room had also been used by Terra Lopez (Sister Crayon) to mix, and by Jonathan Wilson (bassist for Rilo Kiley) to record a few tracks.[6]
- !!! (Chk Chk Chk) — the New York-by-way-of-Sacramento band recorded part of their fourth album, Strange Weather, Isn't It?, at The Hangar (alongside sessions in New York and Berlin).[13]
- Mister Metaphor — recorded a five-song EP at The Hangar with engineer Robert Cheek, funded by friend Francis Eastman (a session that took place a year or two after the band had broken up).[14]
- The Speed of Sound in Seawater — recorded Underwater Tell Each Other Secrets at The Hangar (March 11–13, 2011) with Robert Cheek, doing all takes live.[11]
- Sherman Baker — mixed Seventeenth Street at The Hangar and recorded some live drums and bass there, with Robert "Flossy" Cheek mixing.[1]
- G. Green — recorded a scrapped follow-up to Crap Culture at The Hangar with Robby Moncrieff (known for Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca and Ganglians' Still Living), of which two songs survived as a 7-inch; later recorded Area Codes at The Hangar with Chris Woodhouse.[4]
- Thee Oh Sees — recorded Floating Coffin (2013) at The Hangar in December 2012, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Chris Woodhouse.[10]
Local status
The Hangar was a fixture of the Sacramento scene: a downtown Sacramento warehouse studio repeatedly identified as "Sacramento recording studio The Hangar" and "one of Sacramento's most credible recording studios."[6][11][3] As a place rather than a touring act, it is local by origin.