DISUSED shops in Cowley have been taken over by a record label to create a new studio for making music.

Record label Upcycled Sounds is promising to create a 'thriving community gig space', with state-of-the-art equipment to transform the empty units into Oxford's newest recording studio.

It comes as part of a project with Oxford arts charity Fusion Arts as the pair team up to launch the new space later this month.

Hannah Jacobs, of Upcycled Sounds, said: "Finding affordable creative space in Oxford is so challenging and we’re very excited to be teaming up with Fusion to transform a space, left empty for years, into a thriving studio and community gig space."

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Work to transform the space in Temple Cowley's high street is under way with organisers putting the environment at the heart of the project.

Recycled elements will play a big role in the studio including it sound-proofing equipment being made from the remains of Tandem Festival's stage - which itself was originally rescued floorboards.

Materials have been sourced from RAW Workshop, Oxford Wood Recycling, and Orinoco Scrapstore. Solar power will also be incorporated.

Nicholas O'Brien, also of Upcycled Sounds, added: "Sustainable and local are at the heart of all our projects. The music industry is often wasteful and cut-throat.

"We want to challenge that with a strong DIY scene where artists feel supported and able to collaborate, take risks and experiment to produce unique new music."

Upcycled Sounds has been running a recording studio and record label in East Oxford for a year.

The independent sound production company bills itself as a label 'run by musicians for musicians' and has a 'collaborative' distribution model that lets the artist to retain the rights to their own material.

Past signings include Jack Durtnall, featured on BBC Radio 1's Introducing Track of the Week, and Limpet Space Race, who mix folk, jazz and pop.

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Fusion Arts has also long worked with the community in Oxford to inspire and put on hundreds of creative projects. It is the charity's pledge to continue to open up underused spaces across the city and create temporary and permanent places to show, create and experience art together.

Fusion Arts artistic director Kieran Cox said: "We chose to work with Upcycled Sounds as, like Fusion Arts, they are committed to DIY creativity, experimentation and diverse cultural programming.

"We want to support their work through this residency space and allow them to keep creating inspirational, high-quality music."

The space will be opened with a gig on July 17.