Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio
Movie · Documentary · Music

At the age of just 17, Martin Bisi was working with the band Material and volunteering at CBGB, a famous music-club in downtown Manhattan. A chance encounter with famed producer Brian Eno gave him the chance to start BC Studio - a small recording studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn. For over 35 years, Bisi and BC Studio have been staples of the underground music scene in New York. Bisi, Bill Laswell, and Material struck gold by recording Herbie Hancock's Grammy winning hit, Rockit. Following that success, Bisi worked with many other influential musicians at BC Studio, including Sonic Youth, Swans, Afrika Bambaataa, the Violent Femmes, and the Dresden Dolls, all of whom praised BC Studio for its grungy appearance and natural acoustics.. Now the future of the recording studio is in question as encroaching gentrification and rising prices in the Brooklyn neighborhood threaten Bisi and other long-time renters and artists. Featuring interviews and footage of musicians who recorded at BC Studio, including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Michael Gira of Swans, Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls, Bob Bert, who played on Sonic Youth's Bad Moon Rising, Bill Laswell of Material, JG Thirlwell aka Foetus, Grand Mixer DXT, Jim Coleman of Cop Shoot Cop, Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie of Violent Femmes and Michael Holman of Gray (with Jean-Michel Basquiat).

2015 · 1h 11m
Starring Martin Bisi, Bill Laswell, Lee Ranaldo
Director Ryan Douglass, Sara Leavitt

Related

Cast & Crew

  • M‌B
    Martin Bisi
    Self
  • Bill Laswell
    Self
  • Lee Ranaldo
    Self
  • M‌G
    Michael Gira
    Self
  • G‌M
    Grand Mixer DXT
    Self
  • B‌V
    Brian Viglione
    Self
  • M‌H
    Michael Holman
    Self
  • J
    J.G.Thirlwell
    Self
  • J‌C
    Jim Coleman
    Self
  • B‌B
    Bob Bert
    Self
  • G‌K
    Glenn Kenny
    Self

About

Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio

Documentary

At the age of just 17, Martin Bisi was working with the band Material and volunteering at CBGB, a famous music-club in downtown Manhattan. A chance encounter with famed producer Brian Eno gave him the chance to start BC Studio - a small recording studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn. For over 35 years, Bisi and BC Studio have been staples of the underground music scene in New York. Bisi, Bill Laswell, and Material struck gold by recording Herbie Hancock's Grammy winning hit, Rockit. Following that success, Bisi worked with many other influential musicians at BC Studio, including Sonic Youth, Swans, Afrika Bambaataa, the Violent Femmes, and the Dresden Dolls, all of whom praised BC Studio for its grungy appearance and natural acoustics.. Now the future of the recording studio is in question as encroaching gentrification and rising prices in the Brooklyn neighborhood threaten Bisi and other long-time renters and artists. Featuring interviews and footage of musicians who recorded at BC Studio, including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Michael Gira of Swans, Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls, Bob Bert, who played on Sonic Youth's Bad Moon Rising, Bill Laswell of Material, JG Thirlwell aka Foetus, Grand Mixer DXT, Jim Coleman of Cop Shoot Cop, Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie of Violent Femmes and Michael Holman of Gray (with Jean-Michel Basquiat).

Information

Studio
FilmBuff
Released
2015
Run Time
1 hr 11 min
Rated
Unrated
Region of Origin
United States

Languages

Original Audio
English
  • Español (México)
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
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  • Belarus
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  • Czechia
  • Denmark
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  • Virgin Islands, British
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  • Costa Rica (Español)
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  • Estados Unidos (Español México)