Los Angeles, CA—Streamland Media has acquired London-based sound facility Sonorous Trident—formerly Trident Studios, where The Beatles, David Bowie and others famously recorded—expanding the company’s sound division, Formosa Group, into the United Kingdom.
Sonorous Trident’s industry-leading founders Mike Prestwood Smith and Howard Bargroff will make the move to Formosa Group. “We’re genuinely thrilled to welcome Mike, Howard and their incredible ensemble to our Formosa Group family,” said Formosa Group founder, Bob Rosenthal. “Exceptional artists are the very backbone of Streamland Media, so we can’t wait to collaborate with this talented Trident team. This is a fantastic opportunity for all of us involved and for the remarkable filmmakers whose vision we serve.”
The addition of Sonorous Trident’s studio to Streamland Media’s Formosa Group will create a significant hub for filmmakers worldwide, according to a company statement. The Trident studio at 17 St. Anne’s Court in London’s Soho neighborhood is where many influential musicians recorded historic albums from 1968 to 1981, including The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John and The Rolling Stones.
Prestwood Smith’s extensive credits as a re-recording mixer include Rocket Man, Aladdin, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and multiple films in the Mission Impossible and James Bond franchises. He won a BAFTA Award for Best Sound for Casino Royale (2007) and has earned an additional 10 BAFTA Film nods during his distinguished career. Prestwood Smith has been recognized with Oscar nominations for his contributions on News of the World (2021) and Captain Phillips (2014).
“Joining Formosa Group and bringing their ‘talent-first’ approach to the UK with the goal of shaping a world-class, creatively focused sound facility has been a long time in the making,” says Prestwood Smith. “We are very proud to be a part of this extraordinary global creative community.”
“This opportunity to build on our brilliant team and further expand Trident Studios into a vibrant state-of-the-art facility is fantastic,” adds Bargroff. “We have a magnificent team and creative space which we can take to a whole new level as part of Formosa Group.”
Bargroff has mixed numerous high-profile features such as Men and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, for which he received a BAFTA Film Award (2012) nomination. He is a nine-time Primetime Emmy nominee and won a 2021 Daytime Emmy for his work on The Letter for the King. Bargroff has garnered BAFTA TV Awards for A Very British Scandal (2022), The Night Manager (2017) and Sherlock (2012). His illustrious television credits include Devs, The Lost King, The Two Faces of January, A Very British Scandal and The Irregulars, among many others.
