Video by EarthQuakerDevices via YouTube
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Throughout February, EQD’s "Show Us Your Junk" video series is showcasing the "Rock Block." It’s an actual city block in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood that houses the studios of veteran producers, mixers, and musicians Aaron Espinoza (The Ship), Rob Schnapf (Mant Sound Studios), and Dave Trumfio (King Size Sound Labs). Also included is the Rock Block "OG" Manny Nieto, whose Suplex Audio has since moved to a new location.
Producer, mixer, engineer, and musician Aaron Espinoza has operated the studio The Ship as a collective with friends and other musical-production professionals for 20 years.
Espinoza is also half of the band Earlimart with Ariana Murray. The post-rock duo has released six albums and had their songs placed all over television and movies, including episodes of Ugly Betty, Vampire Diaries and House, and the comedy-drama film Humboldt County. Aaron didn’t intern at any studio. Instead, he learned the hard way by constantly recording and recording more bands, learning what works and what doesn’t along the way.
Today, The Ship has an impressive array of gear, mixing vintage and just plain old and unusual junk with new and boutique offerings. The Ship’s client list includes The Breeders, Kanye West, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Elliot Smith, Carly Ray Jepsen, and many more. Yet, despite the impressive gear and client list collected and earned over time and through maintaining relationships, Espinoza works to keep The Ship affordable. That desire to make it easy for young or just broke bands to make good records harkens back to his early days as a band member and budding producer, recording his friends’ bands for free simply because capturing the music is what matters most.
For more from Aaron, head to the EQD blog and check out his Talk About Your Junk. Wherein he discusses his early boombox overdub experiments, his favorite producer and mixers, how being self-taught is a challenging but rewarding road to take, and the importance of establishing and maintaining good relationships. Also, find out how Aaron acquired one of Brian Wilson’s old pianos, Film composing legend Ennio Morricone’s Crumar synth, and The Doors Ray Manzarek’s organ. Wow!
https://www.earthquakerdevices.com/blog-posts/talk-about-your-junk-aaron-espinoza
Directed & Edited by Vice Cooler
DP’s Chris Tran, Dalton Blanco
Audio Engineer Scott Cornish
PA Henri Cash
Thanks to Larry Crane / Tape Op
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