Chris Fogal's studio has been around for three years, but this evening he and Dan Fox are celebrating Black In Bluhm's first anniversary with a little gathering amongst friends at their studio. Three years ago, the pair became partners and moved the studio out of Fogal's Park Hill basement and into the building where the studio now resides at Colfax and Dahlia. Fox, who plays in the Dropskots, manages the studio's eight rehearsal spaces, while Fogal handles all of the production and engineering.
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Although some folks may know Fogal better as the furiously talented frontman of the Gamits and TaunTaun, he has plenty of experience behind the boards, from the mid-'90s and the early days of 8 Houses Down, which got its start in the basement of his house in Thornton on Explorador, until now helming Black In Bluhm. More than a hundred acts have been through the studio -- named after Fogal's late grandmother -- since first opening in 2008, a veritable who's who of local bands, as well as some high profile out of towners like Two Cow Garage, Austin Lucas, Rocky Votolato, Ume, Kevin Seconds and Tim Barry, among others.
From the sound of all the records he's recorded over the years, Fogal's every bit as good an engineer as he is a songwriter. Don't take our word for it, though, listen to his handiwork on the Black In Bluhm compilation above, which features everyone from Tin Horn Prayer, Drag the River and the Knew to Ian Cooke, the Dirty Few and School Knights, and then download a copy for free.
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