Atlantis Studios

Atlantis Studios is a historic recording studio at Karlbergsvägen 57 in Stockholm, Sweden. The facility began operating as Metronome Studios in 1959, after the former Kadetten cinema, later renamed Terry, was converted for recording use by the Metronome record label. Its history links the studio to several generations of Swedish popular music, from early postwar recordings and folk-pop to internationally successful rock and pop productions. The premises had originally opened as a 330-seat cinema in 1941. After the cinema closed in 1959, Metronome converted the building into a studio. The early operation was associated with Metronome figures Anders Burman and Börje Ekberg, together with engineers Gösta Wiholm and Rune Persson. Among the first known sessions were recordings by Siw Malmkvist and Owe Thörnqvist. The studio also accepted work commissioned by other Swedish music and entertainment organizations, including Povel Ramel's Knäppupp and AB Svenska Ord, rather than functioning only as a facility for Metronome's own releases. Metronome became particularly important in the development of the music that preceded and accompanied ABBA. The Hootenanny Singers recorded albums there, and Björn Ulvaeus used the studio while developing songs with Benny Andersson. Agnetha Fältskog also recorded at the premises, while Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Fältskog contributed backing vocals to the 1970 Ulvaeus-and-Andersson album Lycka. Once the four musicians began recording together as ABBA, Metronome became the site of many of the group's most important early and international recordings, including sessions associated with “Waterloo,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” A major change came in 1978, when Ulvaeus, Andersson, and Polar Music co-founder Stig Anderson established Polar Studios. ABBA subsequently used Polar as its principal recording base, and engineer Michael B. Tretow moved from Metronome to Polar, eventually becoming its studio manager. The change did not end Metronome's independent significance, but it marked a transition in Stockholm's professional recording infrastructure. In 1983, engineer Janne Hansson, who had worked at the facility for approximately a decade, acquired the studio and renamed it Atlantis Grammofon AB. Under the Atlantis name, the facility continued to serve Swedish and international artists across pop, rock, alternative music, and related genres. Artists associated with recordings at the Metronome or Atlantis premises include The Cardigans, Roxette, Opeth, and The Hives, in addition to the earlier artists connected with Metronome. Hansson operated the studio until May 2020, when a group including Polar Studios veteran Stefan Boman, former Kent guitarist Sami Sirviö, producer Martin Terefe, Jörgen Ringstrand, Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, and Jonas Kamprad took over its operation. Atlantis Studios therefore represents both a working recording business and a preserved part of Swedish music history: its value comes from continuing studio services while retaining the physical and cultural continuity of a site used by influential Swedish performers for more than six decades.

The building now associated with Atlantis Studios opened in 1941 as the 330-seat Kadetten cinema. It was renamed Terry two years later, but the cinema closed in 1959. That year, the Metronome record label converted the premises into a recording studio, creating what became known as Metronome Studios. The early studio was run by Metronome figures Anders Burman and Börje Ekberg, with sound engineers Gösta Wiholm and Rune Persson. Early sessions included work by Siw Malmkvist and Owe Thörnqvist. The facility was also used by outside organizations and labels, including Povel Ramel's Knäppupp and AB Svenska Ord. This broad client base helped make the studio part of Stockholm's wider popular-music infrastructure rather than a narrowly dedicated label facility. The studio's most historically prominent period began with the Hootenanny Singers, whose albums were recorded at Metronome. Björn Ulvaeus, a member of the group, later used the facility while writing and recording with Benny Andersson. Agnetha Fältskog recorded there as well, and Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad supplied backing vocals for Lycka, the 1970 album by Ulvaeus and Andersson. As the four musicians developed the group that became ABBA, Metronome hosted much of their early work. Several of ABBA's major singles, including “Waterloo,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” are associated with recordings made at the studio. Michael B. Tretow began working as an engineer at Metronome in January 1968. After Ulvaeus, Andersson, and Polar Music co-founder Stig Anderson established Polar Studios in 1978, Tretow left Metronome for Polar and later became Polar's studio manager. Polar's creation shifted ABBA's principal recording activity elsewhere, but Metronome continued as a working studio. In 1983, Janne Hansson acquired the premises. Hansson had worked there as an engineer for roughly ten years, and he renamed the business Atlantis Grammofon AB. The Atlantis identity became associated with a continuing Stockholm recording operation that served artists in several styles. Later acts linked to the studio include The Cardigans, Roxette, Opeth, and The Hives. Hansson remained responsible for the operation until May 2020. A new ownership and operating group then took over, including Stefan Boman, a veteran of Polar Studios; Sami Sirviö, formerly of Kent; producer Martin Terefe; Jörgen Ringstrand; Lars-Johan Jarnheimer; and Jonas Kamprad. The transition preserved the studio's operation while connecting its current management to several strands of Swedish music, production, and business history. Atlantis Studios is consequently notable on two levels. It is an active professional recording facility, and it is a surviving physical site connected with the growth of Swedish popular music from the late 1950s onward. Its historical importance rests especially on the Metronome period and the ABBA sessions, while its later identity reflects the continued role of Stockholm studios in recording, producing, and engineering work for Swedish and international artists.

• 2020

  A new group takes over operation

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  In May, a group including Stefan Boman, Sami Sirviö, Martin Terefe, Jörgen Ringstrand, Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, and Jonas Kamprad takes over the studio.

• 1983

  The studio becomes Atlantis Grammofon AB

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Janne Hansson acquires the studio and changes its name from Metronome Studio to Atlantis Grammofon AB.

• 1978

  Polar Studios is established

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Stig Anderson establish Polar Studios, and engineer Michael B. Tretow moves there from Metronome.

• 1970

  Lycka is recorded at Metronome

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The studio is used for recording the Ulvaeus-and-Andersson album Lycka, with backing vocals from Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

• 1968

  Michael B. Tretow joins the studio

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Michael B. Tretow begins work as an engineer at Metronome in January.

• 1959

  Metronome Studios is established

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  After the cinema closes, Metronome converts the premises into a recording studio.

• 1943

  The cinema is renamed Terry

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema changes its name from Kadetten to Terry before eventually closing in 1959.

• 1941

  The premises open as the Kadetten cinema

  [1]Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The building at Karlbergsvägen 57 begins its history as a 330-seat cinema called Kadetten.

A historic, artist-focused Stockholm recording facility combining longstanding Swedish recording heritage with continuing professional studio operations.

• Music recording · 1959

  Recording studio services

  Atlantis Studios provides professional facilities for recording music and vocal performances. Its historic rooms have hosted Swedish popular-music sessions since the site was converted from a cinema in 1959, and the studio has continued operating under the Atlantis name for contemporary artists and production teams.

• Audio production

  Engineering and production services

  The studio's offering includes the technical and creative work associated with professional music production, including recording engineering and related session support. The facility's history includes engineers such as Gösta Wiholm, Rune Persson, and Michael B. Tretow, although the currently available reference material does not specify a complete present-day service catalogue.

• 2020

  A new group assumes operation of Atlantis StudiosM&A

  Background

  Janne Hansson had operated the studio since acquiring it in 1983.

  Action taken

  In May 2020, a group of music-industry and business figures took over the operation.

  Aftermath

  The studio continued under new operation, retaining its historic Stockholm location and Atlantis identity.

  Source

• 1983

  Janne Hansson acquires and renames Metronome StudioM&A

  Background

  Janne Hansson had worked at the studio as an engineer for approximately ten years.

  Action taken

  Hansson bought the studio and renamed it Atlantis Grammofon AB.

  Aftermath

  The business continued under the Atlantis identity and remained a Stockholm recording venue.

  Source

• 1959

  Metronome converts a cinema into a recording facilityStrategy

  Background

  The closure of the Terry cinema left a suitable central Stockholm property available for a new use.

  Action taken

  Metronome record label converted the premises into a professional recording studio.

  Aftermath

  The site became a long-running center for Swedish recordings and later developed into Atlantis Studios.

  Source

1. 1Atlantis Studiosen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Atlantis Studios official websiteatlantisstudion.se