Abbey Road Studios Welcomes Soulwax for Their First Rave Event
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In a historic first, Abbey Road Studios will host its inaugural rave, promising to redefine the iconic venue’s musical landscape.
The event, titled Abbey Road After Hours, will take place on February 21 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Studio One, featuring a collaboration with Belgian electronic duo Soulwax. The studio, located in northwest London, will accommodate 300 attendees for what Abbey Road describes as “a world-first experience.”
Admission will be free through a public ballot, which is currently open. Fans can enter by calling the ‘Soulwax rave hotline’ at +447886 072699.
Soulwax, comprised of brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, has been tasked with curating the night. The program will include DJ sets from their well-known alter ego 2manydjs, alongside special guests yet to be announced. Additionally, the event will feature the debut of the DEEWEE Soundsystem, a custom-built speaker array inspired by the legendary Paradise Garage system in New York, acquired by the Dewaele brothers for their DEEWEE club nights.
Moreover, the night will showcase new Soulwax material created specifically for the event. The duo plans to spend the day before the rave recording in Abbey Road’s iconic Studio Two with a full live band. The sessions will be cut direct to record, and the resulting tracks will be played during the rave.
“It’s hard to say whether we have a perverse or healthy attraction to crazy ideas – that’s for others to decide,” Soulwax said in a statement. “But being approached with a crazy idea by the most iconic recording studio in music history makes it impossible to refuse. We embrace the challenge and sincerely hope this won’t be the last rave at Abbey Road.”
Mark Robertson, Abbey Road’s Director of Marketing & Creative, commented, “I’ve talked about hosting a rave here for years, so it’s a genuine thrill to have Soulwax curate the first night. Studio One has been home to countless era-defining firsts – from Elgar to John Williams – and opening it to bold new forms of creativity feels both true to our heritage and excitingly audacious.”
Abbey Road reopened Studio One in the spring of last year following an extensive restoration, marking the first closure in the room’s history. In recent years, the studio has also been utilized by contemporary musicians such as Harry Styles, U2, Noel Gallagher, Little Simz, and Sam Smith.
