The Soundplex in Pennsauken is a recording studio with all of the necessary elements for musicians, including location. But it’s also delightfully decorated with masterworks from local artists. Owner George Koch has a passion for helping both.
The first impression one gets upon arriving at Soundplex might be to check the address.
The brick warehouse-style building is on Rudderow Avenue in Pennsauken, a short side street in clear need of repaving. There’s no visible signage, except for the Victor Talking Machine Co. sign which gives little indication of the building’s purpose. You have to wander around to the back to see anything bearing the studio’s name on it.
That is, undoubtedly, how owner George Koch wants it. Underground, exclusive, however you want to describe it–the very definition of a hidden gem.
Soundplex Studios calls itself a recording studio, but it’s much more than that. It’s a bona fide art gallery too…there are delightfully decorated lounge areas throughout the place, including a larger room featuring a grand piano and drum kit for intimate performances.
In each dimly lit space, there are portraits of musical artists, as one might expect…Frank Sinatra, Duane Allman, The Supremes and countless others. LP records hang from a large door in the lounge, as necessary nostalgia. But there are also stunning paintings on walls everywhere…breathtaking pieces depicting female beauty, masterful abstract works, and even glow-in-the-dark ultraviolet features.
There’s no question that Soundplex’s owner truly is a music and art lover himself.
It’s clearly a labor of love, but it’s good for business too. When you wander around Soundplex, you can’t imagine struggling musicians not wanting to cut their first disc here, or artists declining an offer to display their efforts among the masterworks.
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Koch didn’t select Soundplex’s location out of any desire to be obscure. He just happened to own the building and discovered its potential almost by accident.
“I was in the medical business, distributing medical supplies,” he remembers. “I just needed raw warehouse storage space. It was boarded up, no amenities whatsoever. I fitted out a few small areas downstairs as an office, but basically just used it as a distribution spot.
“I got out of the medical supply business and got into software, so I didn’t need the space. I started renting it out to tenants, and each one was a little interesting. We had some artists in here, and musicians rented the space to be rehearsal studios.
“A musician came in here who had the rights to Victor Records. They were once the center of the music recording world, Victor Talking Machine. They rented the space for a few years. During COVID, they had to move out.
“So, I just said, I’m gonna run with music and art. I was always a fan of art, my father was an artist, and my grandfather was a nightclub singer. So that was the vision, the initial origination.”
As one might expect touring Soundplex, it takes time to make a vision like this a reality…three and a half years, at this point, and counting.
“I want to keep this place pretty fresh and always changing,” Koch shares. “I get bored really easily. I’m always talking to local artists. We just had our gallery opening a few weeks ago, and I’m always looking at new art and bringing that in.
Soundplex is a destination not just for recording, but for business networking too, if you’ve ever heard of such a thing. The lounges with their stunning artwork make for a truly unique business networking space, and Koch is using it for such outings. It may even host a Legacy Club gathering.
“I like to network. I like to go to events. I like to go to parties and throw parties. Now I have this space, this complex where I can entertain and develop new business relationships. Bring people in instead of going to a Marriott or Hampton Inn to do a business conference. Come here instead, a lot more to offer.”
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Even with its clear potential as an art gallery and a networking space, Soundplex is a recording studio first and foremost, with all the necessary instruments, sound boards and audio equipment, including a separate room for the singer.
It hasn’t seen the likes of Taylor Swift recording an album…although it’s certainly conceivable that a megastar might choose such a place to get back to their roots. That said, Koch can describe some mind-blowing artists that have both recorded and performed here.
The first one he mentions when asked is a Frank Sinatra tribute artist, Brandon Tomasello.
“They brought in the Philadelphia City Rhythms Orchestra,” he remembers. “Real top shelf, 17-instrument big band. When Sinatra would do his tour, there were certain songs that he didn’t play for some reason. So, Brandon got hold of them, and they recorded about 13 of them. We are actually doing a show at Scottish Rite in Collingswood on Nov 30th to introduce the album.
“These songs were put together for Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. They were recorded here for the first time. We made the Channel 3 news at 6:00, which was kind of cool.”
Koch can easily rattle off names of other artists who have performed or recorded at Soundplex, that he believes people should hear more of.
“The most recent one was Mike Ian and Gabby Howarth. He plays guitar, piano, amongst other things. Gabby has an unbelievable voice. Stunning voice. And she’s a stunning woman. Watching those two play a Stevie Wonder song or Bridge Over Troubled Water was pretty powerful.
“South Jersey is kind of a hotbed of good performers. Tara Hendricks is one of them. She’s a local girl. She has her own band, and she does a great Amy Winehouse, but she also has some original music. She’s actually gonna be recording a Christmas album here next month.
“When you’re that close to a performer and that’s what I like about the place too, you’re very intimate. You’re the audience, but you’re part of the show itself, because you’re that close to it. You can see the expression on their face, how challenging it is to deliver a performance. Since we are a studio complex, we film most of our performances and put stellar productions together for music fans.”
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To be a music and art enthusiast is easy for anyone, but making a living through it is exceptionally difficult. That isn’t lost on George Koch, who’s lived it himself. It drives his desire to deliver for creators and make Soundplex the ultimate destination for artists.
He becomes emotional speaking of the struggles of bringing Soundplex to life, and three and a half years of converting a building into a first-class studio complex full of stunning artwork. He also has had personal challenges that had nothing to do with creating a music and art mecca.
“I’m an entrepreneur, so I like being creative and building something. A business around music and art, creativity, and how that can be used to do all the other things in life, is fabulous. You couldn’t ask for a better position to be in than I am right now.
“Not to say it’s not fraught with its challenges…by no stretch of the imagination has it been easy. But I’m at a stage now where in life, I want to enjoy something and bring people together. When you see some of our gatherings, interactions I have with folks, and how they interact with each other, it’s special to see. That alone is rewarding enough to keep me entrenched in this space.
“I’ve had a real rough three years. Two of my sisters passed away, one of ALS, one of cancer. My mom passed away, they all passed away within two years. That I’m still standing here is pretty amazing, and that’s a testament to how I was brought up.
“You never give up. I teach the same thing to my son who’s 25, I say, ‘Mike, nothing’s easy, you’re gonna have days when you’re gonna say, ‘S***, this sucks, and I want to quit this nonsense.’ But you persevere.’
“All I need is folks to enjoy themselves here, because to me, it’s all about making people happy, and that’s what I’m doing.”
