Brooklyn’s The Kennel Recording Studio to Close in March

One of Brooklyn’s most hospitable audio environments is now in search of a new home.

An AMR 2400 console lies at the heart of The Kennel.

The Kennel, the prolific facility located on the line between East Williamsburg and Bushwick, announced that it will be closing on March 23. The studio was HQ for co-owners Jim Santo (The Sharp Things, George Usher, Harley Fine) and James Pertusi (The Missing Teens, The Sharp Things), plus producers Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca, Dinosaur Jr, Helmet), and Billy “Prince Polo” Szeflinski (Yeti Beats, VP Records).

Equipped with a 36-track AMR 2400 console, a 2-inch, 24-track Otari MTR-90 MkII a 24-track Tascam MSR-24 1-inch machine, vintage amps and outboard, and even a skylight, the Kennel was a welcoming haven for high-profile and indie bands alike. As SonicScoop’s Justin Colletti observed in his 2011 visit, it proved to be every inch “an artist-focused studio”.

Santo was both upbeat and matter-of-fact when asked about circumstances leading to the Kennel’s closing. “We’re very proud of all we’ve accomplished since opening in June 2008, and we’re fortunate to have worked with a consistently high caliber of clientele in that time,” he says. “Billy Polo’s work to rescue, restore and revitalize Clive Chin’s historic archive of reggae recordings from the 17 North Parade studio in Kingston, Jamaica was a major highlight, as was our long-running Internet radio show, Rabid In The Kennel, with Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover. And for me personally, the opportunity to work in close partnership with the legendary producer Wharton Tiers has been an unforgettable experience!

Plenty of sunlight lights the live room.

“Our decision to close after six great years on Thames Street was driven by the oldest of reasons: the rent’s too damn high! The expansion of the NYC Loft Law in 2010 and 2013 has fueled an influx of new residents into East Williamsburg and our building’s owner, understandably, is taking advantage of that.”

Santo stresses that this is just adios and not goodbye for The Kennel, which fully expects to rock another day in the near future. The facility is booking sessions all the way up until March 23^rd, and a farewell show at Union Pool will put a loud and proud capper on this chapter, while paving the way for the next one.

“Fortunately,” Jim Santo says, “several purpose-built rehearsal/recording facilities have opened in the area — we’re now looking for a new, more affordable space in which to set up shop. The totally unique vibe that made The Kennel a magnet for this city’s best musicians will travel with us. Time for phase two!”

— David Weiss

Experience sights and sounds of The Kennel right here.

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