Michael's definitely among the best producers in the country. He's hands on with really fantastic…read moresuggestions, but also a very peaceful and relaxed presence. He's very particular about what gear he uses for what, but also works super fast and you'll come out of the recording experience wanting to go back ASAP. Also, the newly renovated studio is swanky af. Attached a pic of the smaller room, not the big one you'd (likely) be recording in.

I've spent a ton of time at Empty Sea in the past year. Last summer, my band came here to record…read moreand mix our first album. I've been here for concerts, both as a performer and an audience member. I'll be returning to Empty Sea soon for more recording and to see more shows. I definitely recommend that you stop by and check this place out. Every neighborhood needs a venue like Empty Sea. It's essentially an old house that's been converted into a performance venue, teaching space, and recording studio. This is the proverbial "place down the street" where you can drop your kid off for music lessons during the day and saunter by to catch a show at night. Tiny local bands come here to record their albums. It's small, homey, comfortable. The place has a friendly neighborhood vibe, from the sign outside proclaiming "Phinney's Home for Acoustic Music" to the audience of locals who actually did amble down the street for some live music. But Empty Sea also has this secret superhero identity going on. It may be Phinney's neighborhood music venue, but it's also quickly becoming a hub for bluegrass/roots/acoustic music in the Puget Sound area. I receive Empty Sea's newsletter, and each month I'm impressed by the line-up of musicians due to perform. A lot of these folks come from out of town to play here. So when you head down the street to see a concert at Empty Sea, be prepared to have your socks knocked off. The performance space is like nothing I've seen before. What used to be a living room is now occupied by a stage. The stage itself is tiny - fits about four musicians (plus gear & mics) comfortably. But it's made of beautiful varnished wood, and all the stage lighting is professional quality. The venue seats an audience of only 35-40 people, making for a truly intimate concert experience. You'll be able to see every movement the musicians make and hear every note they play. My only complaint is that it's difficult to see the stage from the back rows - the level floor makes it so that you'll have to peer around those sitting in front of you to glimpse the musicians. Risers would definitely help. I really have to hand it to Michael, the one-man army who owns and manages this place, for having the knowledge and drive to make his vision for Empty Sea a reality. Michael is a lot of fun to work with. He definitely knows his stuff, whether it's related to sound engineering, instrument building, teaching, performing, the music business, etc. Not only did Michael record and mix our album with finesse and aplomb, he's also given us tons of advice on all sorts of music-related matters, from tips on writing a band bio to ideas for marketing. Give this guy a call if you ever need to record anything!

This is a great little recording studio! It's small & cosy but it's equipped to be able to handle a…read morewhole band. I went in there expecting to have to completely redo a piece of music for a film project that I had on my little zoom recorder (it needed to be way shorter & have some voice added). They were able to take my recording, edit it to the right length & add what was needed in a couple of hours. The result is seamless. Perfect for what I wanted & it saved me a lot of money!

From the owner: Kirk A. Douglas is a producer, recording engineer, musician and composer for hire. His 25+ years in…read morethe music industry has resulted in hundreds of albums, recordings, soundtracks for film, TV, music for Professional sports teams and advertising. His move to Salt Spring Island will be an amazing source of inspirational for him, and for clients.

I took Shiamak's Bollywood Fitness Class at the Kitsilano Community Centre, but it can be found at…read morequite a few other locations in the lower mainland. The class was an exhilarating cardio blast peppered with yoga that had me sweating like a hooker in church at the end of the hour (which always seemed to just fly by!). Rahul our instructor was awesome. Not only is he an amazing well-trained bhangra dancer in his own right, but as a teacher he was upbeat and patient with those in the class who were somewhat rhythmically impaired. He also chose Indian music mixes where the minute the music started you just had to dance. I really hate exercising if it anyway resembles exercise, but I loved this class.