Eastcote Studios (historical London facility)
Historical Eastcote recording facility, London; precise room and current premises not asserted
2010 · song
Rolling in the Deep: keeping the force of a demo
Adele and Paul Epworth’s demo retains its force through recording work at Eastcote and Tom Elmhirst’s mix at Metropolis.
Rolling in the Deep did not lose its early character on the way to becoming a finished record. Paul Epworth’s account describes a demo that remained its foundation, with further recording at Eastcote in London. Tom Elmhirst’s mixing work brings Metropolis into the story. Together, their accounts show how a song’s force can survive a change of workplace without every element being replaced.
Explore the places
These historical places remain in the list while their map positions are researched.
- Eastcote Studios (historical London facility) — Position not yet established
- Metropolis Studios — Position not yet established
A demo worth keeping
Epworth told Sound On Sound that the final master largely retained the demo with additions. His initial version already contained drums, bass, guitars and piano played live. The later masterclass’s public description identifies the final tracking session at Eastcote. Those accounts place the studio work within a continuing process: finishing the record meant building on a strong starting point, rather than automatically beginning again. [2] [1]
The sound of a physical performance
Epworth described Adele stamping on a wooden step as part of the percussion, alongside his kick-drum recording. At Eastcote, drummer Leo Taylor added life to those existing tracks. The different contributions became part of one rhythmic foundation. The step belongs to Epworth’s earlier studio account; it is not assigned an invented position inside Eastcote. [2]
Permission to use the voice
In a later GQ conversation, Epworth recalled encouraging Adele through a moment of concern about reaching a note. His account focuses on the exchange between producer and singer: a suggestion helped her recognise what she could do. This is a performance decision alongside the technical work. The recollection supplies no exact room, so it is retained as context rather than pinned to one of the studio buildings. [3]
A familiar place to hear the mix
Elmhirst described Metropolis Studio C as a room whose monitoring he knew well. Working through its console was part of his established method. That familiarity gave the mixing stage its own geography, distinct from the earlier recording. The map uses the wider studio facility; a marker does not locate a particular desk or speaker position. [2]
Returning to the session
Mix With The Masters presents Epworth’s later lesson as a return to the song’s creative process and final Eastcote tracking session. Its public description places the presentation at Church Studios. The locations therefore have different roles: Eastcote belongs to making the record, while Church belongs to a later explanation of it. Eastcote remains the recording location; Church is the setting for that later look back. [1]
The story in real places
Metropolis Studios
The Power House, Chiswick High Road, west London
Elmhirst mixes Rolling in the Deep at Metropolis
2010 recording
Tom Elmhirst mixed Adele’s Rolling in the Deep using the Neve VR console in Metropolis Studio C in west London. [2]
Reading the place today
These are recording and mixing facilities, not public recreations of the sessions. Check present operators for access. The production account does not establish a surviving wooden step, an exact drum position or a visitor route through the original rooms.
Sources
- Paul Epworth — Rolling in the Deep episode description — Mix With The Masters. Checked 2026-10-17.
- Tom Elmhirst: Recording Adele Rolling in the Deep — Epworth and Elmhirst interviews — Sound On Sound. Checked 2026-10-17.
- Paul Epworth on rolling deep with Adele and McCartney — British GQ. Checked 2026-10-17.