BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – YARD TUNE PRODUCTION (YTP) now has a newly-renovated studio that offers a professional environment and quality service to artistes.
The studio is located at Hermitage Estate, Cayon at the home of YTP’s creator Ravij Hamilton, popularly known as DJ Rinch.
He started the studio eight years ago inside his bedroom and has now expanded the location to provide quality service to all his customers.
A soft opening was held on Saturday (Feb. 13), where several artistes and community members were present to celebrate the occasion.
“This is actually my room,” he told SKNVibes of the new carpeted studio equipped with A/C, padding and three computers.
“I did the glass work, ordered some padding and mic stands, and I decided that I would just do this thing professionally and take it the next level,” he said.
Hamilton said the renovations cost him some EC$15 000. The other producer of YTP is Keasean ‘Hi-light’ James, who, along with Hamilton, often links up with affiliated producers Zaggadon, Jabou and Cliff Richards of SKNVibes. Hamilton said that he wanted a studio that is large enough to accommodate a band and record if needs be.
He is hoping that when word gets around the Federation of what he is doing, man more artistes would jump at the opportunity of recording at their studio. A 20 percent discount was offered to artistes who made bookings at the opening.
“While I’m still trying to make a living from the studio, the mission is to get the music out there on a wider basis and put SK on the market,” he said.
Hamilton said that there is still final work to be done to the studio, including padding. The studio offers audio recording, radio advertisements, audio backing tracks for TV advertisement, tracks, instrumentals, mixing and mastering, and has so far had a host of artistes recording songs there, including Bamboo B, Ashkenaz, Hi-light and Infamus.
A few artistes journeyed to Hermitage Estate to check out the new studio, and among them were members of Sparkling Entertainment ITYC, SMI and VP.
They all said that they were very impressed with the new studio and would be returning to record music shortly.
“I’m very impressed. I was there from its birth in Rinch’s bedroom; from a small studio to what it is now,” said ITYC, who recently released a single and video for Valentine called ‘Cuz you be my Valentine?’
“These guys have put in a lot of work over the years. They always grinding. Now it looks like they will be doing more efficient work. They have laid down their rules and regulations so that people wouldn’t come by and waste time,” said VP, who is working on his new single and video ‘Paper Chaser’. “I guess a lot of work would be done, and artistes who are serious about their work should check them.”
SMI said with that, the recordings would now be done by bookings only, and he is excited because in the past other artistes were in the studio while he was recording his new tracks.
“And I don’t really like people hearing my songs before they are released, but I’m really impressed with the studio,” he said.
SMI’s newest single and music video will be dropped next month and is titled ‘Why you still here’, which he said comes from his personal relationship.
Sparkling Entertainment has been around for 10 years and the trio will be releasing a collaborative track for the first time called ‘Catch me if you can’.
“We did it for a track club based in Sandy Point called High Vultures, but the single can related to anyone,” said ITYC.
Along with the hope that its new materials are a success and well-received, the group is hoping that people would demonstrate more support for local artistes and that the artistes would take their craft seriously.
