Getting amped up

Junior BTMM major Carl Yost is launching a recording studio in Fishtown.

Since December 2008, Carl Yost has spent much of his time on the third floor of what was once a textile mill in Fishtown. The junior BTMM major and his business partner Asher Brooks, a student at Delaware County Community College, have spent several hours a week renovating and creating the ideal space for their future music production business, AMP Studio Recording.

“It’s very rustic,” Yost said. “That’s the vibe we’re going for. A lot of people are hyped about the location.”
The pair was introduced to the building by some friends, and they said they fell in love with it immediately.

When the opportunity to create the business was presented to the pair of young entrepreneurs, they didn’t hesitate to run with it.

The studio is a subdivision of their previously created business, Aevum Media Productions. The new studio offers a place for musicians to record and rehearse their music. AMP Studio Recording welcomes all genres of music.

“We want to be something that creates its own spirit. Even if we don’t like the music, we will put our all into it,” Yost said.

Yost and Brooks said they both found a love for music at a young age. Brooks received his first recording device when he was 13 years old. From then on, it was all about recording music.

Growing up in a household that played a wide variety of music, Yost quickly became interested. He started interning for Phil Nicolo at Studio 4 Recording during his senior year of high school and stopped just a few months ago.

“Those were the most revolutionary two years of my life,” Yost said, adding that Nicolo was a huge influence to him. Yost said Nicolo encouraged him to start a company at a young age.

Yost and Brooks have struggled at times throughout this process but have received a great deal of help from friends to get the studio to where it is now.

“A certain degree of blood, sweat and tears has gone into this place already,” Yost said.

The studio is expected to open in December. If the loan they have applied for is approved, it will be “snap and go,” Yost said.

Although it is not yet open for recording, several artists are lined up to use the space. At the top of the list are the local groups, Octopus For “Yes!” and Streaks of Light, comprised of high school and college students in the Philadelphia area.

“Most of our advertising is by word of mouth,” Brooks said. “We busted our asses and spread the word.”
In order to dedicate more time to the AMP Production Studios, Yost will be attending school part-time in the spring.

“You have to be prepared to sacrifice and to take a risk,” he said. “We’re not doing this for the money. We would rather do this for the rest of our lives than see what a big company has to offer us.”

Tracy Galloway can be reached at tracy.galloway@temple.edu.