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Kenion Street album links Rochdale’s past and new musicians

A vinyl record on a turntable beside headphones in a softly lit room, with no readable labels

New recordings rooted in Rochdale

The Kenion Street album connects Rochdale’s recording history with contemporary local artists through 11 new interpretations of recordings associated with Cargo and Suite Sixteen. Produced at Voltalab, it links performers working today with the town’s physical studio heritage.

Rochdale Borough Council’s 9 October 2026 retrospective describes a project spanning recording, live performance and archive material. This account follows that story to 23 October 2026, separating the March concert, August commercial release and subsequent reporting.

The cover and article images are AI-generated illustrations of generic scenes related to this topic.

From Cargo Studios to Voltalab

The address behind the album matters because it represents a continuing connection with recording in Rochdale. The council places the project’s source material within the wider Cargo and Suite Sixteen period of 1977–2001. That span should not be confused with Cargo’s opening date.

According to Voltalab’s studio history, owner-engineer John Brierley opened Cargo Recording Studios in 1978. After leaving Granada, he built a sixteen-track studio with the aim of developing a distinctive recording sound, rather than simply reproducing other studios’ approaches.

Voltalab identifies Gang of Four’s debut single Damaged Goods among Cargo’s recordings. Its account also credits Tony Wilson with introducing Joy Division to the studio. Martin Hannett subsequently recorded Joy Division and OMD there, working alongside Brierley and engineer Colin Richardson.

The later history provides another link between the building and the Kenion Street album. Jamie Alsop and Marc Lewis met in 2008 and opened their first studio the following year. They converted an old textile-mill machine room near Rochdale and operated it commercially for three years before pursuing the Cargo premises.

The former Cargo building reopened as Voltalab Sound Studios in 2013, following a year-long build and investment in equipment and the space. Elements from the earlier studio were incorporated into the installation. Voltalab also records a blue plaque being placed on the Cargo building in 2009, and Alsop taking sole ownership in 2014.

Kenion Street album: the artists reworking eleven recordings

The Kenion Street track listing makes the relationship between past recordings and present performers explicit. Rather than presenting an anthology of original recordings, it gives local acts the task of making new versions.

The organiser’s complete artist and song listing identifies these eleven pairings:

  1. Micah Stalgic featuring Local Vocals — Atmosphere, associated with Joy Division.
  2. K-Estate — Damaged Goods, associated with Gang of Four.
  3. Desyfer and Emma Konnanov — Twenty Four Hour Party People, associated with Happy Mondays.
  4. P*STARR — Keep The Circle Around, associated with Inspiral Carpets.
  5. Leo HC — Up The Down Escalator, associated with The Chameleons.
  6. PoolEra — Electricity, associated with OMD.
  7. Medley — Dreams Never End, associated with New Order.
  8. Blvckout — All Night Party, associated with A Certain Ratio.
  9. The Velvet Shadow featuring Maisie Thompson — All Tomorrow’s Parties, associated with Nico.
  10. Jennifer Reid — Totally Wired, associated with The Fall.
  11. From The Ground Up featuring Bloom Music Community — Elephant Stone, associated with The Stone Roses.

These credits also show that the participants are not exclusively individual singers or conventional bands. Local Vocals and Bloom Music Community appear within collaborations, making collective participation visible alongside the named performers.

One artist’s account offers a closer view of how a pairing developed for the Kenion Street album. The Velvet Shadow describes working with Maisie Thompson on Nico’s version of the Velvet Underground song All Tomorrow’s Parties. He says the project brought them together and describes his intention to create a dark electronica foundation for her vocals.

The production team behind Kenion Street

An empty recording room with a microphone, acoustic panels and coiled audio cables, without branding or readable text
AI-generated illustration: An empty recording room with a microphone, acoustic panels and coiled audio cables, without branding or readable text.

The council says Rochdale Music Stories launched in October 2025. It identifies Voltalab, Stockport Music Story and Rochdale Development Agency as collaborators, with funding from Arts Council England, the council and the development agency.

The release credits published by Proper Music identify the people responsible for turning the project into a record. Jamie Alsop is credited as producer, recording engineer and mixer, with recording and mastering at Voltalab Sound Studios.

Laura Howkins is credited as assistant engineer and creative director. John and Rosemary Barratt of The Stockport Music Story are named as executive producers. Those credits distinguish the recording work from the wider creative and organisational roles behind the Kenion Street album.

The physical Kenion Street album also brought design and archive work into the project. Nyree Waters receives the artwork and vinyl design credit, Chris Connelly is credited for archive images, and Voltalab Sound Studios for artist images.

Kenion Street release date and the March concert

The Kenion Street release date needs distinguishing from its earlier live launch. The project had several public milestones, and the October council article looked back on them rather than announcing an October release.

The council’s dated Heywood Civic concert listing advertised an event on Saturday 14 March 2026, from 7pm to 11pm. Rochdale Development Agency was identified as the organiser.

The advertised format involved acts performing their album tracks live, with Clint Boon hosting and interviewing special guests. The programme included individual performers, bands, Local Vocals and Bloom Music Community, with participation described as including a choir and brass band.

A Rochdale Creates announcement published on 29 July explicitly gave 7 August 2026 as the commercial release date. Proper Music’s physical release record corroborates that date and describes an orange LP in gatefold packaging on Alcopop. It identifies the physical edition by catalogue number ALCOPOP322X, distinguishing that release record from the earlier concert programme.

Apple Music’s digital listing independently dates the Various Artists release to 7 August 2026. It lists 11 songs with a running time of approximately 38 minutes and a 2026 Alcopop! Records phonographic copyright credit.

Radio play, specialist charts and record-shop listening parties

Anonymous hands browsing plain record sleeves in a small independent record shop, with no readable text
AI-generated illustration: Anonymous hands browsing plain record sleeves in a small independent record shop, with no readable text.

The council’s 9 October retrospective reports BBC Radio 6 Music airplay for K-Estate’s Damaged Goods and Radio X Track of the Day recognition. It also names plays across XS Manchester, Mersey Radio and Phoenix FM.

The same account reports K-Estate’s main-stage appearance at that summer’s Rochdale Feel Good Festival, supporting Gabrielle, Ash and Starsailor. This places the act within a wider local performance programme, although it does not establish that the album caused the booking.

There is also a precisely defined chart result. Official Charts’ record for Twenty Four Hour Party People credits Desyfer and Emma Konnanov with a peak of 62 on the Official Singles Sales Chart and 58 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart.

Both histories show one chart week, dated 20 August 2026. These are specialist sales and download positions, not an overall Official Singles Chart placing. Nor are they an album chart result: they relate to the named single.

For the Kenion Street album itself, the council reported nationwide record-shop distribution and identified Rocks Off on Drake Street as a Rochdale vinyl outlet. That is dated reporting from 9 October, not confirmation of present stock.

Record-shop events supplied another route for presenting the Kenion Street album outside Rochdale. The Truman Brewery’s Rough Trade East event record advertised a listening party for Saturday 8 August at 3pm. Its description also identified Rochdale Hour listening sessions in London, Bristol, Nottingham and Liverpool.

The listing offered an opportunity to buy the record and stated that an RSVP ticket did not include an album. These details document the advertised format, rather than attendance or purchases. Together, the radio reports, chart records and event listings establish different kinds of exposure, not a single audience total.

The library exhibition preserving the wider music story

The Kenion Street album sat alongside an archive project with a broader view of Rochdale music. Rochdale Creates advertised the Rochdale Music Stories exhibition at Rochdale Library, Number One Riverside, from 20 July to 28 August 2026. It had ended by 23 October.

Chris Connelly curated the exhibition. The announcement identifies him as the author and designer of Cargo, a book examining the studio’s recording history and tracks recorded there, and credits him with lending material.

The display brought together record covers, fanzines, local-label material and concert and clubbing history. Original cassette tapes and Stephen Morris’s drumsticks were among the objects described. Artists covered included The Chameleons, Lisa Stansfield and The Courteeners.

Music development manager Karen Boardman traced the exhibition idea to the Rochdale Music Stories and Cargo book launch in October 2025. The July announcement described the exhibition as free to visit.

Sources

Questions about Kenion Street

When did Cargo Recording Studios open?

Voltalab’s studio history dates Cargo Recording Studios’ opening under owner-engineer John Brierley to 1978.

How many tracks are on the Kenion Street album?

The Kenion Street album contains 11 tracks, pairing local performers with recordings associated with Rochdale’s studio heritage.

Who performs Atmosphere on Kenion Street?

Micah Stalgic featuring Local Vocals performs Atmosphere, associated with Joy Division.

Who produced the Kenion Street album?

Jamie Alsop produced the Kenion Street album and is credited as recording engineer and mixer. Recording and mastering took place at Voltalab Sound Studios.

What was the Kenion Street release date?

The commercial release date was 7 August 2026, corroborated by the organiser’s announcement, Proper Music’s physical release record and Apple Music’s listing.

Was the March concert the commercial album release?

No. The advertised launch concert at Heywood Civic was scheduled for 14 March 2026, before the commercial release on 7 August.

Did Twenty Four Hour Party People reach the overall Official Singles Chart?

The cited Official Charts record establishes peaks of 62 on the Official Singles Sales Chart and 58 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart, not an overall Official Singles Chart placing.

Was the library exhibition still running on 23 October 2026?

No. The Rochdale Music Stories exhibition at Rochdale Library had an advertised closing date of 28 August 2026.