AUSUITUUQ/GRISE FIORD
For most musicians, the idea of recording their next album or track in Grise Fiord isn't one that readily comes to mind. But it is a possibility.

Enoogoo Records owner Cory Buott developed a passion for experimenting with sound when he was 10 years old. Now 16 years later he runs a recording studio out of the living room of his house in Grise Fiord. - photo courtesy of Cory Buott

Nestled in Canada's Northern most community is Enoogoo Records.

Owner Cory Buott is hoping to attract more business to the studio and artists to the community by offering a Grise Fiord travel package, which will include transportation, tours and recording time.

The trip would mostly be geared toward well-established musicians who are looking for something different, said Buott.

"The plan is to promote Grise Fiord as sort of a package for them and bring them up. We would do the logistics," said Buott, adding the artists would be encouraged to spend time with the community and its youth.

The studio, he said, has met with Grise Fiord Inuit Co-operative Limited about special rates on hotel rooms and charters for larger groups.

There have also been talks with Kenn Borek Air about discounted fares while arrangements have been made with local guides, he said.

"In probably a month, we will be up and running and ready to start fully advertising these packages."

Buott started Enoogoo Records, formerly Qausuittuq Studios, in 2008, two years after moving to Resolute Bay.

In January, Buott's day job as a Community Aerodrome Radio Station (CARS) operator led him to relocate to Grise Fiord.

Over the past five years, Buott has added to his studio equipment and now boasts of having a "world-class facility."

"It's quite an operation. We've got two booths, probably just over $300,000 worth of equipment and a fully capable analog and digital outfit," he said.

"We can do pretty much anything they can do down south, in CBC studios, or even in California in the big studios there."

The recording company has received help along the way, including from German company Doepfer and even Jimmy Page. The guitarist for Led Zeppelin was browsing the Internet when he came across some information on Buott's company.

Page had a digital desk leftover from a project with Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and Canadian artist Jon Raven and was willing to give it away, according to Buott.

"He had always wanted to go to Resolute, so he called me up out of the blue," said Buott.

"I thought he was American - I didn't know he was British - and this old British guy calls me up on the phone, this frail sounding man...

"I thought it was a phishing scam, you know how they try to get your information over the phone? So I just brushed him off."

But, a phone call from Raven a little while later confirmed Page's offer was real.

Buott had another brush with celebrity when he was asked to do some promo work for a Quentin Tarantino film.

He created a song called Run for the opening credits. However, they didn't end up using it, he said.

"I think they should have used it. I thought it was pretty cool."

The Ontario-born 36-year-old has had a passion for experimenting with sound since he received a Casio SK-8, a sampling keyboard, as a child.

"Right away it grabbed me - the fact you could sample an actual analog sound and play it on the keys. You could reverse it, you could loop it, you could make it sound like other things," he said.

"So that really intrigued me and that's when I started experimenting with it and it's just a fascination that stayed with me and never died."

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