Distillery II, the newest addition to the creative landscape between Bristol and Bath, has relied on Van Damme’s legendary Blue Series Studio Grade cable to create a seamless, high-spec recording and performance space. The versatile studio, part of Distiller Music, offers a world-class control room centred around a Rupert Neve Designs console and a cutting-edge Airsound Spatial 7.1.4 monitoring system, creating an environment that’s already attracting top-tier talent.
Van Damme has worked closely with the team at Distillery II for several years, supplying bespoke custom racks, patch bays and extensive lengths of Van Damme’s Blue Series cable — including the classic pre-jacketed 8-pair multicore. “For me, the interconnection is the most important and often overlooked element in a studio,” says Matt Tait, Recording Engineer at Distillery II. “You can have the best gear in the world, but if the backbone isn’t right, it falls apart. We’ve been working with Van Damme for over 15 years and their cable just works — every time. You lay it in once and it’s flawless from there on. That’s huge.”
Business Manager Andy Leese agrees: “When people come for a tour, they’re blown away by how well everything just works. We’ve had Tour Managers walking around with notepads and pens, noting where everything is patched in — by the end of the visit, they’re genuinely impressed. You can really plug in anywhere. We’ve even got tie lines running up to the kitchen.”
The decision to build the space from the ground up gave the team the freedom to shape every element with operational flexibility in mind. Local Van Damme distributor, VDC, not only supplied the Blue Series cabling but also delivered custom metalwork and precision screen-printed panels for the live and control rooms. Together, these custom elements support the flexible infrastructure behind the studio’s wide range of uses.
“You walk in, plug in, and it just works. Smooth functionality creates a psychological boost: when everything operates flawlessly, creativity can flow,” says Tait. “And you don’t want cables hanging out of walls or connectors that are falling apart. We’ve worked hard to make this a place where that doesn’t happen.”
Distillery II isn’t just a recording studio. With full soundproofing, a PA and lighting rig, classic recording gear, a high-end microphone collection and a wide selection of amps and instruments, it’s a truly flexible space that can shift effortlessly between rehearsals, recording sessions, film shoots and events. “It’s a jack-of-all-trades,” adds Leese. “The whole point is to be ready for whatever a creative project throws at us, and that means having infrastructure we trust.”
Early projects have included music production, spatial audio playback, and a major short film, with sessions from touring artists already booked in the run-up to Glastonbury.
“Van Damme’s Blue Series has been part of the plan from day one,” concludes Tait. “It’s the kind of stuff you don’t see, but you’d definitely notice if it wasn’t there – it’s the invisible thread that holds everything together.”
For more information, visit van-damme.com
