State of the Studio #18: March '09

The observant fans may have noticed the absence of a State of the Studio post last month. The decision was made in January to change the feature to bi-monthly in an effort to cut costs in these economic troubled times. But that was not enough.

In order to keep the Studio operating, a more significant action was needed. Therefore it is with great displeasure that I must tell of the recent changes at the Studio. For the first time in the Studio's long history, job positions have been eliminated and projects put on hold.

Last month 71% of the staff was released, salaries of the remaining employees were decreased by 20%, and the workload of the remaining employees has tripled. All albums that were in progress have been placed on hold, allowing the Studio to save money on the power bill. And funding for the unannounced RING Project (Recording In No Gravity) has been cut, therefore Mune Mud's proposed recording sessions in earth's orbit have been postponed.

But with all of these recent changes, we do still hope to pull through this and return to providing the quality music that our fans have come to know. There will still be activity at the Studio throughout the summer months (someone will be here to mow the grass and set mousetraps). Please bear with us and we'll see you on the other side of all of this.

Have a joyful spring!!!