Real World Recalls # 1
//
Peter Gabriel
‘So’
19th – 24th May 2026
Spend a week in the beautiful setting of Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios opening up the original multitrack recordings of a classic album in the company of the original mixer.
We’re launching a brand new week-long all-inclusive residency program at Real World Studios called Real World Recalls. Open to all music fans, not just music makers, this series of residencies will take a classic album of the past and, in the company of the person that originally mixed it, you’ll be shown just how it was all put together. They are the one person that can tell you all the stories and explain the techniques used back then, the person that can also look at ways the modern studio could have improved the results… or maybe not! The program will also be streamed live with a series of available subscription levels.
And we start with Peter Gabriel’s own classic album ‘So’ in the week that marks the 40th anniversary of its release. The original mixer and recording engineer, Kevin Killen will be playing you through all the original multitrack sessions, now lovingly converted from tape to digital. Songs like Don’t Give Up, Red Rain and of course the legendary Sledgehammer will all be laid out on the sonic cold slab and dissected. Each part has a story and Kevin is the perfect man to tell them.
ARTIST –
ALBUM –
MIXER –
DATES –
PETER GABRIEL
‘SO’
KEVIN KILLEN
19th-24th May 2026
How Does It Work?
Each day will be split into a morning and afternoon session, each 3 hours long with a short intermission, and each focusing on one of the nine songs from the album.
Song by song, Kevin will open a digital multitrack session and talk through the story behind how each song evolved to its final iteration.
In the hour before dinner there will be a variety of off-topic talks looking at subjects such as songs that didn’t make it onto the album, album cover design, A&R point of view, all yet to be confirmed.
After dinner there is the option of getting hands on in one of the Real World mix spaces in smaller groups of 5 or 6 with one of the Real World engineering team, looking at one of the songs from that day.
The event will conclude at 5pm on the Sunday. Anyone opting to stay on the Sunday night can stay for dinner and possibly a small party de-brief of some description at the local pub.
Kevin Killen
Kevin Killen is an eight-time Grammy Award-winning Irish producer, engineer, and mixer with a prolific career spanning over five decades. Known for his technical precision and musical sensitivity, he has worked with a diverse array of iconic artists including U2, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, Shakira and most recently David Byrne.
Killen began his career in 1979 as a trainee at Dublin’s Lombard Sound Studios, quickly advancing to an engineering role. He then moved to the prestigious Windmill Lane Studios, famous for its work with U2. There, he assisted on U2’s War album and engineered their acclaimed The Unforgettable Fire (1984), working with the production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.
Relocating to New York City in the mid-1980s, Killen’s reputation grew rapidly. He engineered Peter Gabriel’s multi-platinum album So and mixed Kate Bush’s The Sensual World. His diverse discography also includes significant work on the hit soundtrack for the film The Commitments and projects for artists such as Bon Jovi, Jewel, and Shawn Colvin. A major career highlight came when he recorded and produced David Bowie’s final and critically acclaimed album, Blackstar, which earned him two Grammy Awards in 2017.
Killen has embraced both analog and digital recording environments, known for his “in-the-box” mixing approach. Beyond his studio work, he co-founded the music collaboration website eSession and currently shares his expertise as an adjunct professor at NYU, shaping the next generation of music professionals.