Where To Listen To Great Music In London

Brilliant Corners

Described by many as the original London audiophile bar, you’ll find Brilliant Corners among an unassuming block of shops on Kingsland Road. From the outside, it looks like a regular bar; inside, it houses its very own custom sound system, listening space, dance floor and restaurant. Set up in 2014 by brothers Amit and Aneesh Patel, perfectly placed speakers in every corner help deliver a club-quality sound in a grown-up environment. Serious DJs and collectors curate specialist nights spanning live jazz to Balearic disco, with the music enjoyed alongside Japanese food, sake and cocktails.
 
470 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 4AE

Visit BrilliantCornersLondon.co.uk
 

Classic Album Sundays

Classic Album Sundays was started in 2010 by Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, a woman who knows her music. It has grown to become arguably the world’s most popular and respected listening platform, with outposts in Japan and Australia. London events are now hosted at cultural institutions including the V&A museum and Royal Albert Hall. Each one focuses on an influential album, which is played from vinyl for the closest possible experience to a live performance. In its entirety, the whole album is run through an audio system that many venues, let alone individuals, could only dream of owning. Musicians, DJs and producers including Nile Rodgers, Roni Size, Jazzie B, Mogwai, Gilles Peterson and DJ Yoda have all featured. Taking a stance against how music today is consumed in a throwaway culture, devaluing the listening experience on inadequate audio systems, Cosmo helps listeners hear albums as they were intended, in the best sonic detail possible. Top tip: the upcoming March session featuring Louie Vega at the British Library will be an unmissable evening.
 
Various locations

Visit ClassicAlbumSundays.com

Spiritland

It is impossible to talk about audiophile venues in London without hearing the word ‘Spiritland’. Originating as a listening bar in King’s Cross, Spiritland has gone from strength to strength as a clubbing alternative and now encompasses three venues. Its original high-fidelity venue is a café and workspace by day which transforms into a stylish bar at night. Playing all day, every day, the venue hosts a bespoke, world-class Living Voice sound system. In-depth musical programming means you are not going to be lost for things to listen to here. A sister venue at the Royal Festival Hall plays the same level and quality of music in a restaurant setting, so listeners can enjoy the musical ambience with a 110-strong wine list and oyster bar. The third Spiritland venue is a headphone bar in Mayfair, retailing headphones, digital players and amplifiers so you can get close to the brand’s unparalleled listening experience at home.
 
9-10 Stable Street, King’s Cross, N1C 4AB; Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 3 New Burlington Street, Mayfair, W1S 2JF

Visit Spiritland.com
 

Pitchblack Playback

For true sensory overload, Pitchblack Playback does exactly what it says on the tin. Event producer Ben Gomori wants you to make the most of the heightened hearing you get when your vision is cut off, so you listen to seminal and upcoming albums – on remarkable sound systems – in complete darkness. His roving event pops up across town at venues including Homerton’s Castle Cinema, the Soho Hotel Screening Rooms and Aures, a nightclub with true surround sound in the tunnels beneath Waterloo station. Sleeping masks are provided for a full lights-out experience and make sure you’re on time: no latecomers are permitted to disturb these immersive listening sessions.
 
Various locations

Visit PitchblackPlayback.com

Lucky Cloud Sound System

David Mancuso is a name synonymous with high-fidelity sound. In the 70s, Mancuso and his cosmopolitan all-night New York gatherings created the disco and modern club culture we know today – all from his own apartment. Since Mancuso died in 2016, Lucky Cloud has taken over the mantle of hosting these parties in London. It is a collective of over 30 volunteers, all of them involved for the love of the music. Huge attention is paid to sound quality: balloons fill the ‘sky’ to keep the sound within; speakers are placed super-precisely; almost all of the equipment is analogue; and the floor is sprinkled with talcum powder to ensure the sound is treated properly. The result is one of the warmest, 3D public systems in Europe. Previously hosted at the much-missed Lightbar on Shoreditch High Street, the events are now held at the Rose Lipman Building in De Beauvoir.
 
The Rose Lipman Building, 43 De Beauvoir Road, De Beauvoir, N1 5SQ

Visit LoftParty.org

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