A little space of musical history situates itself at the bottom of Signal Hill, what is advertised as “an intimate, organic recording space that has served a mix of local acts, regional bands and national artists, all under the supervision of engineer and studio owner and manager Anthony Antoine’ Arvizu.”
Some of the artists and producers that have rolled through the studio include Crystal Antlers, Ryan Bingham, Marc Ford (The Black Crowes, Ben Harper, Booker T. Jones), and Ikey Owens (The Mars Volta, Free Moral Agents).
And Arvizu is no amateur, having been a founding member of National Peoples Gang, whose three albums put him on the stage with The Flaming Lips, Nirvana and fIREHOSE. He was at the epicenter of the growing ’90s music scene that eventually became identified as indie rock.
Arvizu’s recording career started in 1991 at The Toledo here in Long Beach, a now-defunct studio that was once home to Sublime. In 1998, he went big time, hitting Capitol Studios in Hollywood and working with Paul McCartney, Elliot Smith, and The JB’s, amongst others. It wasn’t until 2003 that, following the lack of an “organic recording experience,” as Arvizu put it, he joined The Compound.
Earlier this year—much like many small and independent studios across the nation—debt threatened to shut down The Compound, which would have been a blow to the Long Beach musical community (must we be reminded of VIP’s closing?).
“I had always been told ‘recording studios don’t make money’ and yet after 10 years as a freelance engineer I decided to become a studio owner,” said Arvizu. “We have seen rich times and lean times and it just seemed that the past year or so had been especially lean. And, our lease was up in 2012, so it was time for some soul searching.”
In a creative attempt to raise capital, Arvizu put out a call to former clients to contribute songs. The resulting full-length benefit compilation, SOS: Save Our Studio – A Benefit Album, was released digitally in May and features 49 tracks from a host of artists that in typical Long Beach fashion, represent a large cross-section of genres. “The benefit record has been selling well but more importantly, it’s raised awareness has resulted in more bookings for us and plans for branching out into other avenues of the music business,” said Antoine.
Now, Arvizu’s taken it a step further by offering mini-compilations grouped by genre and geography. Local Heroes features exclusive tracks from a select group of Long Beach and SoCal bands—including Avi Buffalo, Free Moral Agents, Crystal Antlers, MODE, Dumb Love, and Elderly Rock Opera—that be purchases here for a measly $3.99.
“I believe that a recording space like The Compound is a necessary part of this community of musicians,” continued Arvizu. “I realize that not all can afford a professional studio experience at Hollywood prices and so we operate The Compound with an eye to the pro-studio amenities but with Long Beach sensibilities, style and down-home pricing. The fact is we love what we do here, and it seems that so do many others.”
If you love music—and you love Long Beach’s rich musical history—don’t you find a bit imperative to support? Skip the latte and put on your headphones.