The Premises Studios

Originally housed across two Victorian terrace houses at 201–203 Hackney Road, London, the studios were opened in 1986 by two local jazz musicians, Dill Katz and Colin Dudman, as a cost-effective alternative to London's more established music studios. (he had a gospel column in The Voice, which newspaper he helped to launch) and was one of the early members of The Pretty Things. At this time The Premises Music Education Programme was established as a music-based charity, which ran a New Deal work programme and still provides workshops and courses throughout the year, often in partnership with like-minded non-for-profit organisations. In 1998 the charity purchased the freehold of neighbouring properties and secured the future of the studios in their current location at 205–209 Hackney Road, although the original 201–203 Hackney Road studios have remained within the greater complex as long let studio spaces. Upon expansion the original buildings were demolished to make way for a bespoke new building with studios and offices over three floors. In May 2010, the arrangement between The Premises Studios Ltd and Full Frequency Ltd, the lease holders for 201–203 buildings, was dissolved. The Premises Studios business operates only in 205–209 Hackney Road. In 2007, The Premises Studios finished work on a large acoustic recording space. This was the first solar-powered recording studio in the United Kingdom and believed to be the first in Europe. In 2010 Hackney Council controversially ordered the removal a landmark piece of street art from the wall of The Premises, a 12-foot rabbit painted the previous year by graffiti artist ROA, with the studio's consent. Following a campaign, the council reviewed the case and "decided not to take action because the rabbit had been in situ for some time and had not provoked complaints". ==Environmental/political involvement==

On 7 June 2007, lead singer of Razorlight rock band, Johnny Borrell, recorded a song for Friends of the Earth as part of the Big Ask Campaign in the new solar-powered studio. The Big Ask was a widely publicised political campaign designed to lobby government to introduce a climate change law, which committed the UK to cutting its carbon dioxide emissions by at least three per cent every year. This was the first time the award featured at the Music Week Awards. ==Artists who have recorded and rehearsed at the studios==

The studios have been used by musicians such as Nina Simone, Arctic Monkeys, Dave Brubeck, Billy Cobham, Nick Cave, Amy Winehouse, Jamie Cullum, Al Green, Franz Ferdinand, Charlotte Church, Hot Chip, Babyshambles, FKA twigs, Simian Mobile Disco, Oysterband, Taj Mahal, The Magic Numbers, The Infadels, Peaches, Klaxons, London Community Gospel Choir, Lady Sovereign, and many more touring and recording artists. ==The Premises Café==

The Premises Café is the studios' café restaurant, placed at the front of the complex in Hackney, and is also open to the general public. In the early days of the studios being based at 201–203 Hackney Road, a mixture of studio staff and musicians staffed the café. Broughton said of this: "Musicians understand musicians. Musicians aren’t so good at running the café side of things – in fact, when I let them do it they always made a loss – but it makes complete sense for the studios." In April 2007, The Premises Café was awarded Best Turkish Restaurant in the Evening Standard′s annual restaurant competition. On 24 May 2009, it was featured in The Guardian newspaper's food feature "50 coolest places to eat". ==Notes==