Nicollet Studios

About

Defunct recording studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of independent record label Twin/Tone Records, whose offices were located upstairs. Existed under this name at 2541 Nicollet Avenue starting circa 1984-85, in the building that was the original home to the Garrick Movie Theater (June 8, 1914), later the LaSalle Theatre (October 1932 to 1950). Converted to a recording studio by Bruce Swedien in 1953, as Swedien Recording Studio, and later Kay Bank Recording Company, Inc. (August 12, 1957) (Studio City Corporation also operated here), which was sold to Universal Audio Recording in 1967, then existed as Micside Studios from 1970 to 1973, when Micside was renovated and renamed to Cookhouse Recording Studios. The 5,000 square foot studio was run by Dale Menten and existed at this location until approximately 1984. In 1983, Cookhouse opened a second location in downtown Minneapolis, at 10 S. 5th Street, to concentrate on audio/video post-production. In 1984, Cookhouse sold the original Nicollet Avenue studio to independent record label Twin/Tone Records' Paul Stark, who built three 24-track rooms and renamed the facility as Nicollet Studios in 1985. The upstairs was the new home for Twin/Tone's offices. Twin/Tone had previously operated out of the basement of Paul's house at 445 Oliver Ave. S. in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis, and recorded at Paul's original home studio at 606 13th Ave. SE near the Dinkytown neighborhood in Minneapolis called "P. David Recording Studio" (later renamed Blackberry Way Studios and sold 1984 to Mike Owens (2), Kevin Glynn and Steve Fjelstad of the band Fingerprints (9)). In 1985, Minneapolis band Hüsker Dü moved into the offices next door (2539 Nicollet Ave.). In March 1988, Starks sold the building to Steve Wiese's Creation Audio (whose address is now 2543 Nicollet Avenue), and moved Twin/Tone's operations to 2217 Nicollet Avenue. Starks sold the 2217 building in 2003 and Twin/Tone moved back into the basement of his home.