Photo: Helene Hadjiyianni
A legendary recording studio has been brought back to life, thanks in part toBrad Pitt.
It remained in frequent use through the early 2000s, but gradually slowed down after Loussier sold the property in 1992. When Pitt and Jolie first discovered the villa in 2008, the studio, including its in-house instruments, synthesizers and gear, remained available.
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It wasn’t until last year that Pitt finally decided it was time to tackle the studio head-on. “There were always plans to revamp the studio,” he toldBillboard. “It has great historical provenance and so we didn’t want to do it until we could do something special.”
Quintard, 31, was exactly that something special for theBullet Trainstar, who toldBillboardit was a “matter of instinct” to hire the producer for the job.
“As a French engineer, it was a holy grail,” Quintard said of the experience redesigning the space. “Miraval is one of those legendary, iconic studios. But it wasn’t until I came to Miraval that I understood how deep the roots go.”
As he undertook the revamp project, Quintard made sure to keep much of what gave the legendary studio its rich history.
“It was important for us to preserve all the analog technology that was here, but to also fully incorporate the best digital technology of today,” he said. “We’re not here to just build a new studio: We’re here to honor a legacy.”
The guidance Pitt gave the young producer was to keep the focus on what musicians would come there to do: create. “Let’s make a sanctuary for artists to come in and do their thing.”
In 2008, Pitt and Jolie signed a long-term lease on the 1,200-acre estate before officially purchasing it in 2012 for an estimated$60 million. It was an often-visited vacation spot for the pair and their six kids, and they hosted their wedding on its grounds two years later.
Since the news of their split in 2019, the French vineyard has become a hot topic, as it is not only a property matter, but also involves the wine brand the couple launched in 2013,Miraval Wines.
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In the lawsuit, theFight Clubactor claims that Jolie’s business, Nouvel, owed his company, Mondo Bongo, the right of first refusal and that the sale infringed on that right. Pitt’s lawyers have also claimed their belief that Tenute del Mondo is “bent on taking control of Miraval.”
The actor accused his ex-wife of contributing “nothing to Miraval’s success,” while the wine company became his “passion” project that grew “into a multimillion-dollar global business” because of his work.
Across-complaint Jolie filed in Octobersays that Pitt’s claim is “false” and “no such agreement ever existed.” The filing also claimed that Jolie did offer to sell her portion to Pitt but he allegedly “demanded” she sign a non-disclosure agreement barring her from “speaking outside of court about Pitt’s physical and emotional abuse of her and their children.”
“Jolie refused to agree to such a provision, and Pitt walked away from the deal,” the lawyers say in the documents.
source: people.com
