W Hotels Worldwide have had a long-standing and seamless involvement in the music world for years now. Prince once famously performed unannounced at W Hollywood, and their many properties in hot-spots like Barcelona, Seattle, and Bali regularly welcome traveling musicians, producers, and DJs. It then makes perfect sense that W kick up their immersion in the music world by introducing a world-first concept which they have named the W Sound Suites, an in-hotel recording studio birthed out of collaboration with the W brand’s North American Music Director Paul Blair, A.K.A DJ White Shadow (best known for his work with Lady Gaga).
In partnership with long-time collaborators Coca-Cola, the W Sound Suite made its long-awaited debut last week at W Bali – Seminyak, highlighting just how adaptable and progressive these studios will be once they roll out around the world at properties like W Hollywood, W Barcelona, and W Seattle.
W Bali’s Sound Suite studio is an attractive, energetic space with a lounge big enough to pack in a proper entourage, preceded by a waiting area that contains seating and a large, plain white fridge for refreshments during those longer studio sessions. Shadow has informed the spacious layout of the Sound Suite, which is designed as a private music studio and writer’s room for professional recording artists, studio musicians, and producers across all styles of music; even guests will be able to rent out the spot and create in a space that is dotted with a comprehensive range of professional equipment from Native Instruments, Pioneer, and Moog, along with a private vocal booth and a mix of instruments – both fundamental and left-field.
W and Shadow have worked closely to ensure the platform is there to harness and foster the creativity which often springs from such inspired locations as W Bali, which is directly on the beach and has been known as a favourite for visiting musicians – particularly DJs and producers.
“While traveling around the globe making music for the last decade, I’ve run into many challenges including costly studio rentals, the risk of disturbing other guests, and not being able to find a suitable place to listen to or create music”, said Shadow when asked about the origin of the idea. “We dreamed up an environment for musicians to create that is convenient, stylish, and functional”.
“W has a long history of musicians staying, playing, and celebrating at our hotels,” said W’s Global Brand Leader Anthony Ingham. “We know that inspiration can strike at any moment, so the W Sound Suite is today’s tech-savvy version of scribbling lyrics on a cocktail napkin”.
With Bali often referred to as Asia’s “Ibiza”, choosing W Bali as the spot to debut this game-changing concept has tasked the property – a culinary destination for locals and tourists – in coming up with playful, rider-inspired menus for W Sound Suite patrons to order up, including:
- The Diva: Lanson Brut Champagne, Lobster Salad with Osetra Caviar & Lemonade
- The Rock Star: Black Martini & W Candy Shop
- The Studio Geek: Espresso & Artisanal House-made Cracker Jacks
- The Hip Hop Classic: Ciroc Ultra-Premium, Cranberry, Wagyu Beef Sliders, and Truffle Fries
- The Indie Kid: Bucket of local Bintang beer, Smoked Tom Yum Peanuts, and Casava Chips
- The Pop Princess: Raspberry & Rose Bellini, Tropical Fruit & Nitro Bubble Gum Sorbet
- The Party Starter: Lilla Margarita & Wasabi Crab Tacos
- The Jazz Hands: Coca-Cola Bombay Mocktail & Iberico Jamon
To celebrate the opening, W Bali will be hosting a new content series in collaboration with upcoming artists. Dubbed “Sounding Off With…”, the podcast will be a series of monthly video vignettes aimed at capturing raw conversations with and peeks into the lives of touring artists, the first of which is LA-based electronic duo Classixx. This is in addition to W Bali’s plans to bring together unique local and international music talent to produce exclusive mixes, premiere new tracks, and record intimate in-studio performances which will be available via online mag The Angle.
Perhaps the most interesting approach to W Sound Suites is opening it up to W hotel guests, who are able to get in on the action by booking the space, with the option of a private master class led by W Bali’s Music Curator Damian Saint.
Those interested in booking a session and for more information click HERE.
Stay tuned for our on-ground coverage of W Bali, the W Sound Suite, and an interview with the team behind it.
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