Pitch Black Playback might be hard to say…
…but it’s very easy on the ears.
See, PBP is an itinerant listening club that stages dramatic album play-throughs in unusual and intimate spaces. Not that you’ll really see them, of course – because these events take place completely in the dark.
It’s all the work of DJ, producer and musician Ben Gomori, who wants to rekindle our love for the disappearing art of the album. These play-throughs will allow you to take a step back from playlists on shuffle with never-ending tracks, and instead slip into a rich, totally enveloping audio experience that takes you on a journey from start to finish, just as the artist intended.
The albums they play range from brand new releases to classic records – the idea being that even if you’re really familiar with an album, you’ll still uncover something you’ve never noticed. And needless to say, the sound systems they’ve got are top-shelf, with surround sound and high fidelity equipment.
You’ll head along to the venue – usually an independent cinema, so you’ll be sat in plush, comfy seats in lovely surroundings – order yourself a drink, and pull down your eye mask as the lights dim (for the full pitch black effect).
As for how it feels, it’s been described variously as time travel, an out-of-body experience, and a way to ‘inhabit’ the album. With no distractions, your hearing heightened to bat-like levels of perception, you’ll experience music like never before.
NOTE: Pitch Black Playback runs several album listening nights each month. To see what’s coming up, and book tickets (from ~£11), head HERE.
Like plush screening rooms? Check out London’s best cinemas
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