Celebrated producer and engineer Sean Genockey has taken his mission of instinct-driven music-making to a new level with the unveiling of ReKognition Sound — a bespoke hybrid studio located in London’s legendary Metropolis Studios. Outfitted with a pair of Genelec 8351B three-way coaxial monitors, the studio is not only the operational hub for the ReKognition Sound label — co-founded with longtime collaborator Jesse Wood — but a refined sonic space that Genockey calls “a sanctuary for capturing magic without hesitation.”

Best known for his decades-spanning work with rock stalwarts like the Manic Street Preachers, Suede, and Ronnie Wood, Genockey has shaped his craft through years of live performance, extensive touring with his band Moke, and a formative apprenticeship with producer Dave Eringa. At ReKognition, all that experience converges in a studio designed to serve the music — and never get in its way.

“Engineering should be invisible,” says Genockey. “Your job is to facilitate greatness, not hold it up.”

That ethos has informed every detail of ReKognition’s design. Located adjacent to Metropolis’s famed Studio B — where Genockey often tracks live sessions — the studio functions as a high-precision mix and overdub suite. Its gear selection is minimalist by intention: high-quality microphones, Neve-style preamps, a few choice compressors, and an array of trusted vintage pedals. “The magic isn’t in the plugins,” he notes. “It’s in the players. My job is to get it right at source, fast, and then not get in the way.”

Central to that philosophy is the decision to install Genelec 8351B monitors, part of the Finnish manufacturer’s acclaimed ‘The Ones’ series. The monitors bring main-monitor scale and sonic accuracy into Genockey’s compact control room — a game-changer in how he approaches mixing and decision-making.

“These little speakers give me the same confidence I had working on big full-range mains,” Genockey explains. “They’re forensic but still feel like music. You’re not distracted by dips or harshness — you can focus on the emotional core.”

The 8351Bs were calibrated on-site by Genelec’s Andy Bensley using the brand’s proprietary GLM (Genelec Loudspeaker Manager) software, which ensures that the speakers are perfectly tuned to the acoustic environment. The results have transformed how Genockey trusts his room. “Once Andy did the full GLM sweep, I wasn’t second-guessing myself anymore. I can make big decisions fast and know they’ll hold up anywhere — whether the track’s being finished in Nashville or played back on a festival stage.”

That trust is especially crucial given the range of artists Genockey works with. From emerging acts like NewDad to legacy names like Ronnie Wood, every session demands the ability to move quickly and stay connected to instinct. “Ronnie’s amazing, full of energy,” Genockey shares. “We’ve done all his recent solo records here. This space lets you react fast and keep the magic alive. The moment you stall an artist, the take’s gone.”

In an era where digital perfection and over-editing can smother a performance, Genockey sees his role as a counterbalance — a guardian of feel, vibe, and musical truth. He’s critical of modern workflows that rely too heavily on post-production fixes. “So many multitracks I get now are rescue jobs,” he says. “Nothing’s phase-aligned, the fundamentals aren’t there. People are hoarding knowledge too — mic techniques, signal chains, like it’s all a secret. But I came up in a world where everyone shared what they knew. That’s how we got better.”

By choosing tools that enhance transparency and working methods that prioritise immediacy, Genockey’s ReKognition Sound stands out as a throwback to a more organic style of record-making — one grounded in trust, simplicity, and emotional connection.

“The artist walks in, we talk about what we’re trying to capture, and we just go,” he says. “No fiddling, no fuss. Just music.”

With the Genelec 8351Bs now forming the sonic foundation of ReKognition, Genockey is more confident than ever in the integrity of his output. “Whether I’m handing off stems to someone like Craig Silvey or finishing a record here, I know it’s solid,” he says. “What I hear is what they’ll hear.”

For more information, visit www.genelec.com.

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