Cargo Studios

Cargo Recording Studios was established in 1978 by John Brierley as a 16 track studio in a converted warehouse on Kenion Street, Rochdale. During its lifetime, Cargo became the main indie studio in the UK. John Peel called it the "Legendary Cargo Studios". Producer Martin Hannett spent a great deal of time in Cargo recording many of the early Factory bands. As the popularity of the studio increased, bands from as far afield as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham, London, Wales, Scotland and Germany came to Cargo. Due to the amount of work, Colin Richardson and Ian Blackburn joined as engineers. The studio closed in 1984. The building eventually became derelict. In 2012 Voltalab Sound Studios was opened in the same building.