Chris Hegge and Audiolab – a brief history

I started building the first Audiolab location in 1993 and opened for business in 1994. Since 1996 Audiolab has been a full-time endeavour. Since then I have recorded and produced more than 100 recordings. Some of the artists I have worked with include: Starkicker (Sony Music Canada), the Skydiggers, Groovy Religion (Handsome Boy Records), Adam Solomon (Juno Award winner), Career Suicide and Fucked Up (world famous Toronto hardcore bands), Tallman, and many others. The current location of Audiolab opened in May 2000.

My interest in recording started around 1985 when I was in a band, and out of interest took a couple of night classes in Audio Recording at George Brown College. I later went on to complete a Diploma in Audio Electronics at George Brown, which involved more hands-on electronics. I built a working compressor and ring-modulator as my final projects!

In 1986 I started working as House Sound Technician at the Rivoli in Toronto. I worked there for 2 years, until 1988, at which point I moved to Japan. I worked in a small recording studio there for 1 year, then got a job doing tech work for the British Council in Tokyo for the next 2 years.

When I came back to Canada I started doing live sound again. I worked at the 1150 Club (currently the Drake Hotel) in 1992, the Edgewater in 1993, and the El Mocambo from 1994-95. I have also toured across Canada doing sound for the bands Change of Heart (1987), Starkicker and Limblifter (1996), and Ariel and Parade. I currently play guitar and sing in a band called Cheshire Cat Smile.