Abbey Road’s first hit, “There’s something about this place – hopefully we don’t ruin it.”
“After this call you will receive a text message. Just follow the instructions…”
The tweet was a message to fans hoping to find a spot for something unusual at Abbey Road Studio tonight.
It is synonymous with the world’s first – and most famous – music studio. The Beatles, along with the artists it has welcomed over the decades—Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush, Oasis, Radiohead, Blur, and the late Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, and Stormzy—have made a significant impact.
Now, it’s doing something different – opening its doors to clubbers.
Abbey Road After Hours, curated by electronic pioneer Soulwax,
is the venue’s first “Rave,”, a late-night party for just 340 fans who will hit the dancefloor in Studio 1.
Brothers David and Stéphane Dewale, the Belgian musician brothers behind Soulwax, say it was an opportunity they couldn’t refuse.
“Who doesn’t want to party on Abbey Road?” Stephen says. It’s very hard to explain to people, but when you walk into this building, you can feel its rich history and the atmosphere it creates.
“For Dave and I, just walking from one room to the next brought one idea after another. So there’s something about this place. And hopefully we don’t ruin it.”
Soulwax is holding the first ‘rave’ at Abbey Road Studios, on the Brixton Academy stage in January. Photo: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Soulwax followed suit by asking fans to call a special hotline as a method of discovering secret rave locations in the late 1980s and early 90s. Although tonight’s event won’t be as wild and ready as it was back in the day (the venue is already known, and it ends at 1 a.m., for starters), they are promising “a good party.” (Glow sticks optional).
Nearly 4,000 people tried to get tickets, with demand exceeding the available capacity by more than 10 times.
Noel Gallagher with Oasis photographer Jill Furmanowski on Abbey Road in 2024. Photo: Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock
“It’s actually a lot more than we thought and a lot more than we could fit in,” says Stephen. “But we’re filming the whole thing, so hopefully people will be able to watch it later.”
The brothers have been working away at Abbey Road for the past few days, recording new music and cutting it straight to vinyl, ready to be played live for the first time for tonight’s ravers.
He is sitting in Studio 1 and talking to Sky News during a quick break from his work.
This is the room where the history of recorded music began in 1931. The Beatles performed All You Need Is Love here for the world’s first global satellite broadcast, and it’s where some of the greatest film scores of the last 45 years, from Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Return of the Jedi to Harry Potter and Wicked, have been recorded.
Attraction to ‘stupid’ ideas?
Stephen (left) and David Dewale at Abbey Road Studios. Photo: Carsten Windhorst and Gerard Hines
Since the mid-1990s, Soulwax has been at the forefront of electronic innovation. As well as being a band, they own DJs (2manydjs), a record label (DEEWEE), a co-creator of their own custom-built sound system (Despacio), and a GRAMMY-nominated producer.
They’re also known for their boundary-breaking live shows, so Abbey Road Rave seems like a good fit.
“Are you saying we have an attraction to stupid ideas?” David laughs. Because we do… yes, it aligns perfectly, as we have a foothold in this realm… not solely for ourselves; I believe that for most individuals, their musical DNA is influenced by these environments, correct? Whether it’s popular music or classical, it’s such a big part of the musical vernacular. “Definitely, yes, it makes total sense in our minds for us to be given the opportunity to bring something new here.”
Abbey Road’s creative and marketing director Mark Robertson says he’s always looking for new ideas for the studio
The idea is the brainchild of Mark Robertson, director of marketing and creative at Abbey Road, who says he is always looking for ways to innovate and extend the traditional uses of the venue.
“I think that spirit of creative exploration is why hosting a rave party at our house felt like the right thing to do,” he says. “Number one, it’s unexpected. Number two, it’s a way we can get people in the building, so fans can actually embrace the music…
“To be able to share some of your story with people who are coming here for something really special is great.”
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As an avid fan, Mark says it’s exciting to bring that world to Abbey Road.
“It’s kind of weird… I think about all the different club nights I’ve gone to over the years, and to come back now and actually make it to this place is amazing.”
So will there be more movement at Abbey Road in the future?
“Never say never.”
