Dirt Floor Recording & Production Studio

To Eric M Lichter, it’s no mystery why artists from all over the US and beyond come to make their music with him and his team in an old log cabin high above the CT River. “There’s scant cell reception up here on the mountain,” says Lichter, who owns and operates Dirt Floor. “You don’t fall into the same temptation of distraction that you might elsewhere. We’re here to do one thing, and that’s to make incredible music.”

It’s a formula that famously worked for Bob Dylan, the Band, and other artists at Big Pink in the Catskills and Malibu’s Shangri-La in the 60’s and ’70s. The similarities between Dirt Floor and these storied sonic temples go beyond the seclusion.

The throwback angle helped, and over time, Lichter’s work as a producer has generated quite a buzz. A feature in recording industry magazine Tape Op reads, “[Lichter’s] work has gained Dirt Floor a reputation for being one of the best studios in the Northeast”. Eric takes a very hands-on approach when working with his artists, often playing any instrument needed to help tell the story.

“They’ll spend so much time writing, ruminating and overanalyzing,” he says of his artists, “It’s my job to wipe that away and start fresh. This is not a sterile environment, and what i’m selling is definitely not just a recording studio. This is an experience in record making”.