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NEW YORK — AVATAR Studios has been the home of Grammy Award winning producer Jeff Bova longer than any of its present inhabitants. Situated at AVATAR for 15 years, the past 10 in his own studio on the 2nd floor (coined Bovaland), Bova is the first in a group of other talented engineers, such as Jan Folkson and Jim Janik, to be part of an effort by new management at AVATAR Studios to foster a 'creative community' of engineers and producers.

An average day at AVATAR finds Bova working as a producer, arranger and composer, as well as being a recording artist himself. Known for his amazing keyboard wizardry and synthesizer programming, in 1997, Bova's production work on Celine Dion's Falling Into You album earned him a Grammy for Album of the Year.

During the mid-80's, when AVATAR was known as Powerstation, Bova used all its rooms to his fullest potential. "At that time, all the top artists were always in New York recording at PowerStation," Bova states. His first session was with Robert Gordon on his Are You Going To Be The One album. Shortly after, Bova was simultaneously writing and playing tracks on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors album in Studio A while working with Billy Joel on his The Bridge album in Studio C and arranging David Lee Roth's Eat Em' and Smile album in Studio B. At this point, it occurred to him and the owners of Powerstation that Bova should use the studio as his base of operations. Bovaland soon followed.

"As technology changed and started getting into computers and MIDI, AVATAR saw the value in doing pre-production on computer prior to the actual recording in the live rooms," says Bova. "That's why I set up a space to work with an artist. The planning and creative process before the recording has become a necessity in producing a successful record."

Bovaland has a large assortment of MIDI instruments and synthesizers and extensive collection of vintage synthesizers and traditional keyboard instruments that Bova has been gathering since the early 70's. His range of vintage equipment and modern computer instruments have turned Bovaland into a room that allows its user to achieve almost any sound desired.

Bova's daily routine is anything but. With each day bringing new and exciting challenges, such as working with some of his clients that never set foot into Bovaland. "I can have a client anywhere in the world send information via e-mail, work on it and send it back to the artist. Although the ease of technology is great, I miss interaction between musicians, finding myself more and more sitting alone in my room arranging and programming," Bova explains. For example, heavy-metal band Iron Maiden needed a synthesizer yet realistic rendering of strings part added to a number of tracks on their latest album, Brave New World. The band Federal Expressed Bova their Pro Tools files from Europe and as he arranged the music he would send it over the ISDN phone lines, so they could hear how the music was developing. The finished product was then burned onto a CD, sent to Paris and Bova's work was then imported into Iron Maidens protocols sessions in Paris. The end result is a beautiful, tasteful orchestral sound, amazingly done by one man.

"Another way, which I prefer to work, is when the artist is there with me in the studio every step of the way," Bova says. "I work the same way I would if I was sending them the information, only now I have the artist watch me work with it, sweeten it, do overdubs, add parts and basically arrange from the bottom up. When it's finished I'll print it into Pro Tools, and from there it goes wherever it needs to go; whether it's to being mixed, or transferred in one of the main rooms back onto audio tape." An example of this work is Bova's involvement with Hewitt Huntwork, the pop-singer/songwriter who recently signed with Jim Steinman's new record label, Ravenous Records. "I have been developing Hewitt for over a year. That's the part I love about AVATAR. It gives me the opportunity to develop new artists and get them deals."

As AVATAR studios has transformed over the past 15 years, Bova is impressed with new owner, Kirk Imamura's ability to come in and adapt to the new technologies. "Kirk is coming in so fresh that I think it's bringing a whole new feel to the building and the way things are being run," Bova says enthusiastically of being a part of a studio that is focused on creativity and growth. "AVATAR has always been an amazing recording facility, both an inspiration for musicians and the technically advanced. Kirk's direction will insure that AVATAR becomes and remains a special place. As long its stays on the cutting edge, it will continue to be one of the best studios in the world."

AVATAR Studios is a 31,000 square foot multi-room facility on Manhattan's west side dedicated to providing the highest possible quality audio recording services to the recording industry. The studio houses four premier recording rooms containing Neve 8068, two SSL 9000J and a Neve VRP. A 24-hour facility, AVATAR also has two Pro Tools editing suites available and has just added an outdoor, rooftop deck for clients to relax between their recording sessions.

For booking information, please contact: Studio Manager Tino Passante at Tel: 212.765.7500, Fax: 212.765.7450, or E-mail:tino@avatarstudios.net.