Alex, Analogue Recording Engineer, Campbells Creek, Dja Dja Wurrung Country

Alex lives on a rambling property on Main Road of Campbells Creek. The building/s have been many things in its life but originally was a gold mining supply store, built in 1857. Since then, it has been a pub at the turn of the century (before a fire damaged part of the dwelling), was once owned by the catholic church, and also housed a huge Italian family in the 1950's. As well as the two-story brick dwelling – including the old shop front, there’s a stone building, accomodation in the old converted stable, many sheds, a workshop, and a couple of residences.

Alex’s parents bought the property in the 1980s, and operated an antique store from the old shop and converted the stable into a bed n breakfast. He grew up here (during his primary-school years), before the family moved up to Darwin. After competing high school, Alex moved to Brisbane study sound engineering, then to Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand) to pursue postgraduate study in composition and musicology. After abandoning a PhD (focussing on sound recording and the development of technology alongside culture), he ended up back here and has since converted the stone building into an analogue recording studio, where he records and mixes music entirely on tape machines. He’s just about the only person in the country operating a 100% analogue recording facility (without any computers in the mix)! Bands come from all over the country to record here each week. They stay onsite in the old stable/BnB (now a fully fledged band-lodging), which allows them to slow down, immerse themselves in the property and focus on their projects – a luxury that other studios in the city can't offer. 

I asked him if he plans to stay here, and he isn’t sure if he will forever. Having grown up here the property is not without some childhood traumas, and he might eventually need a bigger control room for the recording studio. For now though, the studio and it's adjoining spaces function incredibly well as a recording facility. Alex says the studio is beyond sustainable, and he's 'living the dream', which he's incredibly grateful for.