A Unique Studio With A Unique Sound Musician Couple Builds A Gothic Looking Recording Studio

Photo Courtesy of Jacobson CommunicationPhoto byTemple Of The Trees

Joe and Karyn Reineke have something really special; a 16th-century-themed Gothic cathedral-esque recording studio in their backyard. Their band, Society of the Silver Cross, features dark, meditative hypnotic-goth songs about life, death, and the nature of existence. Their music has been described as yogic metal and George Harrison driving a hearse. If any Seattle band was ever ready for Halloween, it’s them.

Joe Reineke, formerly of San Francisco’s The Meices, and Seattle’s Alien Crime Syndicate, had been signed to major labels three times in his career and started the now renowned Orbit Audio, a legacy Seattle studio (20 years ago). They have worked with Macklemore, Andre 3000, and Beyoncé, as well as many up-and-coming artists. Joe and Karyn are also founders of Seattle Recording Arts, which they founded to help future music producers get real-world experience in the industry. The couple has dedicated themselves to music and making music.

But during the pandemic lockdown, Joe and Karyn felt especially drawn to a special, magical wooded place in their backyard. Three years later, they opened Temple of the Trees, which has been called Seattle’s most unique recording studio. Now they’re ready to share it with like-minded musicians.

Would You Say This Is a Good Time for Music?

Joe: Music unlocks things in your mind, in your soul, in a really unique way, so I believe it’s ALWAYS an exciting time for music because people are naturally drawn to it. Sure, there are people in the world that boo everything and keep going on about how everything sucks, but I think it’s always an exciting time for music and it always has been. I also think finding great music and music that resonates is, and has always been, challenging. It was never easy, and I don’t think it should be. It’s highly personal. It’s how we connect, it’s how we celebrate. Hey, a party isn’t a party without music!

Karyn: It’s a wonderful time to be creative and the world really needs it. The earth has been here for 4.5 billion years and the universe for about 13 billion years, and we’re here for what, eighty years or so if we’re lucky? In a hundred years, most likely no one will remember you. The here and now is such a gift – so use it. Death has a number for us all and we won’t outrun it, so it’s important to remember how short and precious our time here is. When you honor that death is coming, you appreciate what you have in front of you. It helps you focus on joy and purpose and to be grateful for everything, no matter what it is, no matter the labels. It keeps you grateful that you are here to simply witness and dance with life in all its catastrophic glory.

You Built a Recording Studio in Your Backyard. How Did That Happen?

Karyn: Our backyard has always been a special place, it has these big maple trees and this really grounding sense of calm. It very much feels like there’s a conscious presence there that connects you with another realm, like a portal. While we have another recording studio, Orbit Audio, in downtown Seattle, we also wanted to make something that was really unique and personal, with a very intentional aesthetic, where we could be inspired to make our music. When the pandemic started and everyone was confined to their homes, the idea hit me out of nowhere one day. I heard an unmistakable voice inside say, “you need to build this!” I told Joe and he agreed. At the time, we didn’t realize the amount of work we were signing up for, but intuitively, we knew it was the right thing to do

Joe: Always listen to your wife! Karyn was absolutely right about this. It took three years and tons of work, and we did most of the work ourselves, wearing out several pairs of pants and work shirts. At times it felt like a never-ending project, but things always worked out. Permits, finding the right artisans, finding the right materials, it all just fell into place once piece at a time. We sourced much of the studio’s interior wood from the very trees that grew where the studio stands now. I had this amazing three hundred year old Gothic cathedral door from England I’d collected and kept for over two decades waiting for just the right project. It’s now the Front door of the studio.