Record producer, area native opens studio downtown

Recording engineer and producer Malcolm Springer has seen his share of studios in places like Los Angeles and Nashville, Tenn.

Now he's setting up shop in Cape Girardeau.

The man who's worked on several major-label, hit records featuring artists like Matchbox Twenty, Faith Hill, Collective Soul, Shinedown and many others is a Southeast Missouri native.

And now he's moved his recording operation, AngelCrush Entertainment LLC, from his former home studio in Portageville, Mo., to Cape Girardeau.

He's transforming the basement studio that used to be home to Sunrise Recording Studios in downtown Cape Girardeau into his own to record bands from around the country and the region.

Springer first waded into the world of major-label music about 20 years ago -- less than a decade after the music bug hit him as a teenager and he helped form the band Glastetter. "See now I've got greatest hits records out," Springer said in an interview in his new studio. "You know you're getting old when you have a platinum record from a greatest hits record."

Springer set up a studio in his Portageville home a few years ago, but for personal reasons came to Cape Girardeau this year, and he hopes to stay.

"I've been to L.A., I've lived in New York, I lived in Nashville," Springer said. "And I'm going to be honest with you, I get more business when I'm in Missouri. You wouldn't believe it. People just look at you like, he's doing something different for sure."

While based in Portageville Springer produced some major albums, including soundtracks for "Spider-Man" and "Scream 3."

Some local groups benefited from Springer's experience behind the sound board when he made the move back to Missouri a few years ago. He worked with Promise to Burn and The Mika Evans Project, both of which built significant momentum and fan bases in the region.

Now he says he's looking for talent from the area, or anywhere else, to help build up his new AngelCrush label.

Springer doesn't want to call it a label just yet, but a "platform" for getting music that he believes in to the public. There's still plenty of work to be done before calling it a legitimate "label," Springer said.

"I'm one of those sticklers for people who call themselves producers who aren't real producers," Springer said. "So I don't want to be called a record label until I'm a real record label."

In addition to bands, Springer is seeking interns to help build AngelCrush in Cape Girardeau. To find out more call AngelCrush at 573-803-1774.

msanders@semissourian.com

388-3652