Meet the Owners.

Rick Snoman

Founder | Altar Recording Studios | Logic Pro X Trainer | Ph.D

Rick is an award winning author, producer and remixer.

An iTunes certified mastering engineer with a Ph.D in audio technology, he has close to 30 years experience working in both private and commercial studios world-wide. Specialising in electronic dance music, he has remixed numerous artists under various guises and released music under names such as Phiadra, Aeon Soul and Red5. His ghost production work for international DJ’s have earned millions of views on YouTube and his recording studios – Altar (based in a converted church) – regularly ghost produces, engineers and masters music for a variety of electronic dance music artists signed to Armada, Spinnin’ Records, Hospital Records,  Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep, Future Sound of Egypt, Mau5trap, ToolRoom, Warner and Polydor.

His textbook, the Dance Music Manual (first published in 2004 via Focal Press), has won awards, critical acclaim and accolade across the electronic music industry. Translated in five languages, it is recognised as the industry standard textbook and was shortlisted as “outstanding book of the year 2019”. It is required or recommend reading at many international educational institutions across the globe including Harvard, Yale and Cambridge.

Rick is also co-chair of Electronic Dance Music for the Audio Engineering Society, a member of the A.E.S Education Committee, and curated the Audio Engineering Society’s first ever EDM event in 2021. He regularly talks at colleges, universities and at A.E.S conventions worldwide, was keynote speaker on EDM at NAMM 2020, and DJ for the After Party Tec Awards in L.A (2020).

Alex “Hobbitses” Bartles

Founder | Altar Recording Studios | Mix Engineer | BSc

Alexandra is co-owner of Dance Music Production and co-founder of Altar Recording Studios, the worlds first recording studio dedicated to electronic musicians.

A qualified and practicing Audiologist with over 18 years experience, she specialises as a tinnitus retraining therapist for music professionals, advising on hearing protection and hearing loss.

Alex is on both the education and historical committee, and co-chair of Electronic Dance Music for the Audio Engineering Society. She presented at A.E.S Dublin 2019 alongside Rick about developing educational standards to ensure accurate and appropriate training for all EDM producers.

Alex also contributed to the internationally published Dance Music Manual 4th edition written by Rick Snoman, as well as acting as artist manager for Rick she is also currently training as a mix engineer.

Her nickname is because she’s only small, not because she has furry feet.