Making Music Since The 1950s...

CMAT Studios, formerly the internationally renowned Hollick & Taylor Studios, has been Birmingham’s best keep secret for over sixty years.  During that period, many firsts have been recorded here including: All the original sound effects for Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds Are Go, The fabulous brass band rendition of Brighouse and Ratrick’s Floral Dance,  The first Brum Beat album,  Jasper Carrott’s Funky Moped.

The beautiful Victorian property housing CMAT was built around 1872. Situated in Handsworth, this was once a part of Staffordshire, but in 1911, with a population of 70,000, Handsworth became a major suburb of Birmingham.

No.16 CMAT’s base, was originally used as a family home.  The Taylors bought the home in 1945 and converted part of the house into a recording studio soon afterwards.  It became known as Hollick & Taylor studios when John Taylor teamed up with Charles Hollick, a technical engineer with whom he had previously worked.  The studio has been changed and refurbished several times over the past sixty years, adapting to suit the demands of the music industry and accommodating new changes in technology.

Following the death of Charles Hollick, the studio changed its name to Grosvenor Recording Studio Complex and continued producing high quality recordings until the beginning of the 2st Century.  Black Voices ltd., supported by Arts Council England, acquiried the studio in 2003, allowing the internationally famous a cappella quintet to re-develop and modernise the studios

Black Voices and Caliche are Artistes in Residence at CMAT.

Go to the CMAT Studios website to see more!