AAt the end of the Impasse des Musiciens (you couldn’t make it up), in the commune of Mauzens-et-Miremont, the home of Pascal Escoyez is revealed in the middle of the woods. This Brussels native, who has lived in the Dordogne for over twenty years, is passionate about music. “My in-laws at the time were based in Auriac,” he says. “With my ex-wife,…
AAt the end of the Impasse des Musiciens (you couldn’t make it up), in the commune of Mauzens-et-Miremont, the home of Pascal Escoyez is revealed in the middle of the woods. This Brussels native, who has lived in the Dordogne for over twenty years, is passionate about music. “My in-laws at the time were based in Auriac,” he says. “My ex-wife and I came on holiday and loved the area. That was in 1996.”
A 200 m² studio
Having fallen in love with the region, the couple bought a house in Mauzens-et-Miremont. “At the time, I was working on very high value-added developments,” he continues. “I understood that when I came to live here, it was better to bring my work.” Already the owner of a small studio in Belgium, he decided to create one at home, but professional. That was in 2005. On 200 m², in the basement, Pascal Escoyez created a studio worthy of the biggest production companies. Nothing is missing: mixing desk, speakers, microphones, computers, musical instruments, including a huge collection of synthesizers. “It’s perhaps one of the most important at least in France,” judges the owner of the place.
A special feature of the studio is that the mixing desk is open to the recording area. “Simply because before, multitrack machines made too much noise,” explains the owner. “So we couldn’t stay next to them, it masked the vocals.” He still has one of these machines, from the 1980s, fully restored and perfectly silent. A compression method that allows you to play on the tape and that you don’t find in digital.
Artists from all walks of life have passed through his studio: Americans, Japanese, English… Even Zazie came in 2006, for her album “Totem”. Pascal Escoyez juggles with different musical styles, he has already recorded jazz, singing, classical, rock… A process that takes time, but there is no question of rushing the artists. “Recording a CD of ten songs can take twenty days,” says Pascal Escoyez. In a Parisian studio, for example, there is a red clock and the manager points out the arrival and departure times. This forces the artists to work quickly. Here, this is not the case.”
A complete service
A musician himself, he goes further. “There is a big psychological element. There, they are not rushed.” Similarly, the company, Studio Sphere, offers a complete service, which goes from meals to the filming of clips, making-of and interviews, including communication on social networks, or even websites. For accommodation, on the other hand, he works with local establishments.
A fan of progressive rock, he has great admiration for Peter Gabriel. “For me, he’s the ultimate artist.” His studio has just been labeled Dolby Atmos, which, in common parlance, means that it can record sound in 360 degrees. “This allows you to maintain your balance,” says the Belgian. “I predict that this standard will quickly reach consumers. In any case, we are ready.”