Frank
Arkwright

Mastering Engineer

Frank
Arkwright

Mastering Engineer

With over 20 years experience and having worked at Metropolis, Townhouse and Whitfield Street Studios, Frank brings a wealth of mastering know-how to Abbey Road.

Growing up, he played electric guitar and keyboards, which led to a fascination with music production and, inevitably, the recording studio. His first job was runner at Pink Floyd's studio Britannia Row. From there he moved up to the role of tape op and learnt to edit before getting into mastering and vinyl cutting.

"I've always loved the vibe here at Abbey Road...it's one of the best studios in the world...lots of very talented creative people making amazing music through the years...you can feel the history of the building. It's inspiring."

Frank's discography is a musical Who's Who. He's worked with Arcade Fire, The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Coldplay, Oasis, Snow Patrol, Primal Scream, Blur, Mogwai, Bryan Ferry, Johnny Marr, Biffy Clyro, Lucy Rose, Birdy, Ash, Belle and Sebastian, Frank Turner, Scott Walker, Sunn O))), Morrissey, Rudimental, The Charlatans, Electronic and Fatboy Slim.

A specialist in vinyl cutting, Frank uses a mixture of analogue and digital gear and loves spending time in the studio with creative people. High spots include working with Sir George Martin and Elton John on Candle in the Wind the biggest selling charted single of all time, sharing lunch with Iggy Pop, winning a Mercury Music Prize, and discovering an unheard version of The Smiths How Soon Is Now with Johnny Marr and Paul Weller.

Frank is just as skilled at mastering current releases as remastering the classics. Two of his recent major remastering projects ,The Smiths Complete and Blur 21 both won awards for Best Re-Issue/Remaster of the year and there are a couple more expected soon.

Hi-Fi Choice described him as "England's greatest mastering and remastering engineer for contemporary rock music".

I always work with Frank on my records. Mastering the entire Smiths catalogue was a huge undertaking, but we have a way of working together and it turned out perfectly. Frank Arkwright is one of the elite top mastering guys in the world.” – Johnny Marr

Frank did a great job on our last studio album, Office Politics, so it was a no-brainer to use him for our 30th anniversary reissue project. I really like his warm and immediate sound. Remastering nine albums, originally recorded over a span of twenty years initially seemed a massive undertaking! Thanks to Frank's thoughtful and receptive approach (and a few late nights) we came away from the process with everything sounding fantastic.” – Neil Hannon, The Divine Comedy

I always feel my music is in safe hands with Frank - he brings out the best in the mix.” – Bryan Ferry

"Frank brings a musicality to mastering that is rare. A true music fan whose taste and experience shine through in the variety and quality of his work. James aren't an easy band to master. Our music is varied in style and can be complex. Frank understands how to enhance a mix but stay true to each song's identity, rather than homogenising an album.These are traits not easily developed or commonly found and he's a nice bloke too." - Jim Glennie (James)


Highlights:

Mogwai - As The Love Continues, Les Revenants, Rave Tapes, Every Country's Sun, Kin (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Atomic, ZEROZEROZERO (A Mogwai Soundtrack)

Frank Turner - Be More Kind, Positive Songs For Negative People, England Keep My Bones, Love Ire & Song, FTHC

Buckley and Butler - For All Our Days That Tear The Heart - Mercury Music Prize nominated

The Divine Comedy - Office Politics, Venus, Cupid, Folly And Time - Thirty Years Of The Divine Comedy – all albums

Rudimental - Not Giving In

Belle and Sebastian - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Storytelling, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, The Life Pursuit, Write About Love, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, Days of the Bagnold Summer, A Bit of Previous

Alejandro Sanz - Sanz - Latin Grammy Award nominated

Abba - Gold

The Metallica Blacklist - various artists

Bloc Party - Banquet

Elton John & George Martin - Candle In The Wind

Coldplay - The Scientist

Blur - remastering all their albums

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

The Smiths - Complete - all albums and singles

The Verve - A Northern Soul

Joy Division/New Order - mastered or remastered all their records

The Killers - Somebody Told Me

Discography

A Matter Of Time - Shed Seven
Mountainhead - Everything Everything
Undefeated - Frank Turner
Yummy - James
A Life Diagrammatic - JOHN (TIMESTWO)
All Around Man - Live In London - Rory Gallagher
Bryan Moone's DiscoPunk - Danny Goffey
Everyday's A Lession in Humility  - Suki Waterhouse and Belle & Sebastian
Happy Songs For Happy People (2023 Reissue) - Mogwai
Hold Me In Your Arms - Rick Astley
I Don't Know - bdrmm
Late Developers - Belle And Sebastian
Love Lives Forever (BBC Sessions 2003-11) - Daniel Johnston
Mr. Beast (2023 Reissue) - Mogwai
On & On - Jose James
Over The Horizon - Kinobe
Pre-Code Hollywood - Jonathan Bree
Rock Action (2023 Reissue) - Mogwai
Shanty Punk - Skinny Lister
Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr - Johnny Marr
Tape Deck Heart Evolution Demos - Frank Turner
The Hawk Is Howling (2023 Reissue) - Mogwai
The Waeve - The Waeve
A Bit of Previous - Belle And Sebastian
For All Our Days That Tear The Heart - Buckley and Butler
FTHC - Frank Turner
Loss. Hope. Love. - The Feeling
Raw Data Feel - Everything Everything
Wide-Eyed Nowhere - Turin Brakes
You Are The Man - Jonathan Bree
As The Love Continues - Mogwai
Rory Gallagher - 50th Anniversary Edition - Rory Gallagher
Sanz - Alejandro Sanz
The Metallica Blacklist - various artists
After The Curtains Close - Jonathan Bree
Check Shirt Wizard - Live in '77 - Rory Gallagher
In The Sunshine - Jonathan Bree
No One Else Can Wear Your Crown - Oh Wonder
Power, Corruption & Lies - New Order
Spook The Herd - Lanterns On The Lake
The Best Of Rory Gallagher - Rory Gallagher
The Lottery Winners - The Lottery Winners
Venus, Cupid, Folly & Time - The Divine Comedy
Cause and Effect - Keane
Ceremony (Alternate Remaster) - New Order
Ceremony (Original Remaster) - New Order
Cover Your Eyes - Jonathan Bree
Encore - The Specials
Low Fidelity Vol. 1 - Johnny Lloyd
No Words Left - Lucy Rose
This Story Is - Skinny Lister
5 klavierstucke - Irmin Schmidt
acr:set - A Certain Radio
Be More Kind - Frank Turner
Beginn - Claudia Brücken and Jerome Froese
Bitter Sweet - Bryan Ferry
Call the Comet - Johnny Marr
Here Lies The Body - Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert
Kin - Mogwai
Made in the Sixties - Mike Sponza
Minus - Daniel Blumberg
'Movement' box set - New Order
'Outlaw King' Soundtrack - Jim Sutherland
Staccato Signals - Ben Chatwin
Total - Joy Division to New Order
Wakelines - Mull Historical Society
Album  - Sacred Paws
Break The Habit - Sophie Barker
Jump On Board - Texas
Olympia  - Bryan Ferry
All Of Life Is Stories - Flow Machines
Atomic - Mogwai
EUSA  - Yann Tiersen
Fixed For Today - Alexander Wolfe
Mechanical Resonance Live  - Tesla
My Universe -  The Shires
O’ Mighty Vision - Birdpen
One Day All Of This Won’t Matter Anymore  - Slow Club
Outbursts - Turnin Brakes
The Devil, The Heart & The Fight  - Skinny Lister
Adrenaline Baby Live - Johnny Marr
Brave - London Gay Big Band & Friends
Brave - The Shires
Childhood Of A Leader - Scott Walker
Entire Catalogue Remastered - Joy Division
From The Shallows - Alexander Wolfe
Girls In Peacetime - Belle and Sebastian
Hawkwind (LP Vinyl Remaster) - Hawkwind
Like Me - Caviare Days
Medicine - Sunset Sons
Music Complete - New Order
Patti Peru - Public-Access-T.V
People On The High Line Singles + Remixes  - New Order
Pills And Thrills And Bellyaches - Happy Mondays
Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches (25th Anniversary Remaster) - Happy Mondays
Positive Songs For Negative People - Frank Turner
Singles – Remaster - New Order
Spectres - Condition
The Sleeper Awakes - Ben Chatwin
The Wolves Are Whispering - Bang Gang
Tutti Frutti  - New Order
Avonmore - Bryan Ferry
Girls in peacetime want to dance  - Belle and Sebastian
Gold album Remaster - Abba
Le Surfing EP - Sunset Suns
Medicine - Sunset Sons
Miro Zbirka - Fair Play
Playland - Johnny Marr
Rave Tapes  - Mogwai ‎
Reclassified - Iggy Azalea
Shine - Bernie Marsden
Soused - Scott Walker + Sunn O))
Trouble - Iggy Azalea
Fire Within - Birdy
Les Revenants - Mogwai
Lost Sirens - New Order
Renaissance The Masters Series - Nick Warren
The Messenger - Johnny Marr
We Were Here - Turin Brakes
Wild Light - 65daysofstatic
Blur 21 - Blur
If Not Now When - Olly Knights
Like I Used To - Lucy Rose
Not Giving In - Rudimental
Tellin' Stories 2012 Special Edition - The Charlatans
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast (Vinly Remaster) - Badly Drawn Boy
The Jazz Age  - Bryan Ferry
Buenos Aires  - Nick Warren
Complete (Remastered) - The Smiths
England Keep My Bones - Frank Turner
All You Need Is Now - Duran Duran
Dead Waves  - Kyte
Lonely Revolutions  - Biffy Clyro
No Man’s Sky  - 65daysofstatic
Write about love - Belle and Sebastian
Winter Winds - Mumford and Sons
 London Undersound  - Nitin Sawhney
Devotion - Courtney Pine
Love Ire & Songs - Frank Turner
Sound Of The Smiths Remasterd - The Smiths
Elton John Live At Madison Square Garden - Elton John
Fat Kid - Jarvis
Ghetto Blaster  - Armand Van Helden
Joy Divison Remastered - Joy Division
Grace Kelly  - Mika
Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
The life persuit - Belle and Sebastian
Year Of The Leopard  - James Yorkston
Frank (LP Vinyl) - Amy Winehouse
Hypnotize - System Of A Down
In The Morning - The Coral
Mesmerize - System Of A Down
Nympho - Armand Van Helden
Philtre  - Nitin Sawhney
The Invisible Invasion - The Coral
Banquet  - Bloc Party
Coming On Strong - Hot Chip
Confide In Me - Kylie Minogue
II  -  The Early Years
My my my - Armand Van Helden
Rip It Up  - Razorlight
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Boomslang - Johnny Marr And The Healers
Call Of The Search - Katie Melua
Dear catastrophe  - Belle and Sebastian
Frank - Amy Winehouse
Human - Nitin Sawhney
Live  - Roxy Music
beth gibbons rustin’ man out of season - Beth Gibbons
Come Back Around - Feeder
Come into my world - Kylie Minogue
Find The Colour - Feeder
Love Burns - Black rebel motorcycle club
Storytelling - Belle and Sebastian
Take The Long Road And Walk It - The Music
7 Worlds Collide  - Neil Finn
Go Plastic - Squarepusher
My Red Hot Car - Squarepusher
Original Sin - Elton John
Blur: The Best Of - Blur
Fold your hands child you walk like a peasant  - Belle and Sebastian
Electronic - Electronic
Every You Every Me  - Placebo
Liquid Skin - Gomez
Live At Fabric - Editors
What Are You Doing - Echo And Bunnymen
You Don’t Know Me  - Armand Van Helden
All You Good People - Embrace
Bring It On - Gomez
Candle In The Wind - Elton John
Stay Down - Two Lone Swordsmen
The Optimist LP - Turnin Brakes
Arkology  - Lee Scratch Perry
Attack Of They Grey Lantern  - Mansun
Big Loada - Squarepusher
Bruise Pristine - Placebo
Magic Carpet Ride - Mighty Dub Kats
Parklife - Blur
Pray - Take That