Sitting in the fifth—and, he says, final—incarnation of Flora Recording & Playback, Tucker Martine sounds like a man who knows he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.
“I feel like this is my ‘forever studio,’” the Portland producer says, surrounded by a sea of vintage gear. “I picture myself sitting in here when I’m 65, making records.”
That’s a long way from how Martine felt in the middle of March, shortly after someone broke into Flora and stole about $70,000 worth of microphones, guitars, and amplifiers. He says his heart sank when he realized some of his favorite music-making tools were missing, including a number of valuable, hard-to-find pieces.
“I felt like I had to lie down. I could hardly stand up,” he says. “It’s very blurry and nightmare-like. I kept checking to see if it was really happening.”