Yes, We’d All Love To Record At The Sanctuary In The Bahamas

For many up-and-coming artists, just getting to record in a real high-end commercial studio is a dream come true, but once you’re successful, that might not be enough. Many artists thrive on isolation away from record labels, management and the public, so an out of the way residential studio is the perfect place for creating. That’s what makes The Sanctuary at Albany in the Bahamas so appealing.

For many years, there were two wonderful studios in the Carribean that turned out of host of great records. Chris Blackwell‘s Compass Point Studios in Nassau closed in 2010 due to local political unrest, and AIR Studios in Montserrat closed in 1989 thanks to a volcanic eruption. This makes The Sanctuary perfectly situated to fill the niche.

Albany is considered “the Monte Carlo of the Caribbean” and is a $2 billion, 600-acre development that features a 71-slip mega-yacht marina. The studio reportedly has dozens of investors including Justin Timberlake, Tiger Woods, Will Smith and corporate sponsor Monster Energy, according to Billboard.

The structure was designed by the Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, while the acoustics were handled by U.K. acoustic designer White Mark Limited (which has Abbey Road Studios among his clients). The main studio features a 48-channel Solid State Logic Duality Delta console, with 5 additional studios fitted with Pro Tools workstations flanking the live room and control booth.

There’s also a green room designed by Timberlake that includes a full kitchen, an outdoor deck with a hot tub and gas grill and a vending machine (one of just three in the world) that dispenses split bottles of Moet champagne (Moet has a branding relationship with the studio). Among the artists who’ve already recorded there are Alicia Keys, Nipsey Hussle and songwriter/producer Mutt Lange.

The Bahamas may be home to some wonderful musicians, but I doubt that many will be able to afford The Sactuary. That said, if you’re an A-list artist with a big budget, this just might be your next place to record.

[Photo: Cheryl Fleming/James Lane]