Trevor Horn’s Studio Burned to the Ground in California Wildfires
Trevor Horn's residential studio has gone up in flames, as devastating wildfires swept through large swaths of southern California.
Horn, an ex-member and producer of Yes and the Buggles, confirmed that his six-bedroom Bel-Air home and recording studio had been lost, adding that he was safe and hadn't personally seen the destruction. He also vowed to rebuild the studio, which included state-of-the-art technology, and boasted canyon, mountain and ocean views. Dubbed SARM West Coast, the studio opened in 1981 as a companion to the original SARM studio in London.
Horn joined Yes as a brief replacement for Jon Anderson during the sessions for 1980's Drama, then stayed on to produce their follow-up smash, 1983's 90125. He also co-produced 1987's Big Generator and 2011's Fly From Here for Yes, using SARM studios along the way. The Bel-Air facility has played host to the Pet Shop Boys, the Art of Noise and Bell & Sebastian, as well. Recently, artists like Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Travis Scott, One Direction, Kanye West, Charli XCX and Slash have also made use of SARM West Coast.
Unfortunately, last week brought similar news for Simon Phillips, a longtime former member of Toto. The veteran session drummer was performing with his solo band in New York City at the time his home was engulfed by flames. Phillips and his family are raising funds through GoFundMe to get back on their feet. Zakk Wylde was also forced to cancel appearances last week after learning of an increased risk to his home. Wylde is the founder of Black Label Society and guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne.
This outbreak is now the fifth-largest wildfire in California's history, according to the Los Angeles Times. Some 230,000 acres of land have been burned.