Inside the cozy new Atlanta music studio designed by Electric Lady architect
In 1968, legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix commissioned John Storyk to design the New York recording studio Electric Lady. After it opened in 1970, it became a recording home for acts including Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie.
More than 50 years later, Storyk has brought his design vision to Atlanta in the form of Violet Isle, a west Midtown studio that opened last year.
Since April, artists including Cardi B and Davido have recorded at the studio, and Ari Lennox, who dropped her third studio album “Vacancy” last month, partially recorded the project there.
“It’s a blessing to be busy,” said owner Bill Jabr.
Last spring, the 5,500-square-foot facility was named among the top 20 new studios of 2025 by Mix Magazine, a leading publication for professional recording and sound productions.
It’s also the first premier commercial studio in Atlanta designed by John Storyk (along with his company WSDG), the legendary architect behind Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
But accolades and acclaim aside, Jabr and his team simply want to provide a comfortable, collaborative space that prioritizes musical creativity.
“(We wanted) to just build like a dream space in Atlanta that also feels like a luxury destination studio that would attract artists of the highest level all around the world,” Jabr said.
Indie and intimate
Jabr, who’s from Atlanta but now lives in Los Angeles, established his first studio Blue Room (also in Midtown, 5 minutes away from Violet Isle) in 2009. The former producer — who got his break by interning for Disturbing Tha Peace, the label founded by Ludacris and Chaka Zulu — worked on songs for child stars Jesse McCartney and Raven-Symoné.
He pivoted to operating studios after struggling to secure consistent work and becoming disillusioned with the creative side of the music industry.
Blue Room began as a tiny, royal blue-painted space that he rented at Icon Studios, another Midtown location.
“Starting the studio was kind of really a frustration on how the industry was,” Jabr, 42, said. “I just wanted a place that didn’t feel industry, that just felt raw and indie and authentic. That’s also something we’ve really tried to maintain.”
The roughly 2,200-square-foot, two-room space has been used by Childish Gambino, Playboi Carti and James Blake, among others. The studio’s rise aligned with the budding popularity of early 2010s Atlanta rap, with artists such as Young Thug, Future and Metro Boomin using the space during the nascent stages of their careers.
Hits like Ca$h Out’s “Cashin’ Out” and YC’s “Racks” were recorded at Blue Room.
“At the time, we had no idea what it was, but it’s amazing to see where that music has gone,” Jabr said.
That legacy allowed Jabr to expand his footprint, including acquiring Lion Share Studios in 2023. The legendary Los Angeles-based venue is where an early session of “We Are the World” was recorded.
In 2019, Jabr and his team, including about seven staff, began planning for Violet Isle, buying the building (a former printing press) in 2022. It took about three years, including an eight-month design process, for the $3 million project to materialize.
Violet Isle‘s footprint includes one control room with a 1980s-era SSL 4056G console, a 525-square-foot room with a piano and drum kit, along with a balcony boasting a view Atlanta’s skyline. Violet Isle also includes two private lounges, two bathrooms, a kitchenette and a sound booth.
An unfinished room, which Jabr plans to use as space for mastering, is located in the back.
Another highlight of the studio, Jabr said, is its devoted team of young adults.
Drew Kelly, a 25-year-old engineer for the studio, splits time between Blue Room and Violet Isle like his colleagues, often spending long sessions at one facility before moving on to a shift at the other.
“You literally work your way from the (bottom) here,” said Kelly, a South Carolina native. “That’s why we have such a tight-knit team. I worked here for like seven months before I was able to start touching the equipment. It’s not even like it’s closed off, but more so that we have a reputation to uphold.”
A gold standard
Securing Storyk‘s services was also key to Jabr’s vision. Inspired by Storyk’s design for the Alicia Keys-affiliated Jungle City Studios in New York City, Jabr said he wanted to get Storyk’s “stamp on Atlanta.” The legendary architect, of New York City, lives part-time in Durham, North Carolina. Violet Isle is the first premier studio in Atlanta by his WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group) company, which he co-founded with his wife in the 1980s.
“It’s not a project studio, it’s not a home studio and it’s not a DIY studio,” Story, 81, said. “It’s built to basically the white-glove, gold standard specs for the industry. That was Bill’s call. That was one of the things that attracted us to the project. And that’s not always easy — (to) find builders that want to pay that kind of attention to detail.”
For the design, Storyk said he wanted a balance of crisp but comfy, which was also his approach for designing Electric Lady Studios over 50 years ago.
Ludacris, who’s frequented Violet Isle, said he feels “revitalized” by the studio’s fresh energy in the city.
“The location makes you feel like you’re connected to the city of Atlanta all while the main room has a perfectly balanced area with everything needed to make hit records while feeling at home,” the legendary rapper said in a statement shared with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Violet Isle’s next phase includes finishing the unpolished back room, with hopes of continuing the mission of “combining a modern full studio workflow with classic, old-school gear,” Jabr said.
“My passion’s always been music and production, but I feel like my calling was running recording studios,” Jabr said.
Heat Check is a monthly music column where AJC culture reporter DeAsia Paige explores the temperature of Georgia’s buzzing, expansive music scene — via the people and places within it. The column includes music news, trends and any Georgia-related music that DeAsia is listening to. If you’re a Georgia artist and have music you want to be considered for this column — or if you just want to talk music — feel free to send an email to deasia.paige@ajc.com. If you’d like to receive Heat Check via email, sign up here. Below is a February playlist.
About the Author
DeAsia is a music and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She focuses on the intersection of arts, culture and diverse communities, as well as how emerging social trends are being expressed through the lens of the Atlanta aesthetic. DeAsia's work can be seen in Pitchfork, Essence, Teen Vogue, Elle and more.
