Utopia Studios

British recording studio and cutting facility, opened in October 1976, located in London, UK. Owned by Phil Wainman, with original manager John Mackswith (formerly of Lansdowne Studios). The studio originally consisted of a main recording studio and a cutting room (cutting room completed in January 1977), with a mix room and second studio being added later. The rooms were all designed by Eastlake's Tom Hidley, except for Studio 2 which was too small for a full Eastlake treatment. Before Utopia Studios, the first studio to set-up in Spencer Court was Sound Developments Studio, established in 1971 by Roger Sinclair. Utopia was sold in 1991 to John Hudson and Kate Hudson, owners of Mayfair Studios, and was rebranded as "Mayfair Village", ultimately closing in June 1992. Discs cut at Utopia are usually identifiable by the "lyre symbol" etched in the runout area of vinyl releases often displayed as "ƱTOPIA" or just by the "Ʊ". Discs cut for Phonodisc Ltd. can be identified by //x UT (March 1969 until February 1979). Discs cut for PRS Ltd. can be identified by ▽E UT (February 1979 - December 1981) and by ▽420 U (January 1982 - mid 1988). Discs cut for Lyntone Recordings Ltd. can be identified by a tailing IUT or 2UT. Note IU / 2U etc. on Lyntone pressings do not mean Utopia. Known recordings engineers who worked there include: James Guthrie, Andy Jackson, Tim Palmer, Chris Brown (8), Martin Russell, Pete Smith, Chris Stone, Peter Walsh Known mastering engineers include: Ian Cooper (1976 - 1979), Gordon Vicary [1978 - 1981), Kevin Metcalfe (1979 - 1983), Steve Angel (1981 - 1988), Miles Showell (1984 - 1989), Geoff Pesche aka Pounda (1988) Noel Summerville (1989-1990)