Pitchblack Playback

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Pitchblack Playback

Hear forthcoming album releases and classic LPs on a powerful cinema sound system, in the dark. Meditate on music. Produced and devised by Ben Gomori.

The last decade has been a depressing episode in audio history where sound quality has played second fiddle to convenience. Low quality MP3s were designed to make the most of slow internet speeds and expensive storage; cheap earphones have been bundled with audio players; hi-fi separate systems have been forgotten in place of portable speakers. What’s more, we’re told the album as an artform is dying. But not all of us agree with the status quo. Pitchblack Playback is a series of listening sessions inviting the music-loving public to hear upcoming album releases and classic LPs like never before in cinemas and other intimate spaces. But that’s not all. To ensure that there’s no distractions and that you're totally immersed in the music, our events will be staged in the dark.* It’s just you and the music. Pitchblack Playback isn’t aimed at audiophiles; it’s simply for lovers of damn good music who still value the album as an artform and who want to experience something special. We promise that once you’ve heard music like this, you’ll want to come back for more. Rib-shaking, skin-tingling lows; pristine, wide highs; it’s how music was supposed to be heard. Everyone deserves to experience it.

*We dim the lights to their bare fire safety regulation minimum and providing sleeping masks for the full lights-out experience.

09/09/2026

Swipe through the John Coltrane era that redefined Jazz: 1957-1964

We’re honoured to partner with John Coltrane + Rhino Records to celebrate the release of ‘Highlights 1957-1964’: a new compilation bringing together some of his earliest originals and collaborations released on various labels in one package for the first time. Tickets now on sale (and pre-registration open for the free events we’re throwing in his former home towns, New York and Philadelphia in partnership with Jazz Philadelphia)

Leave a comment and we’ll DM you the ticket links.

Sept 20 Shhh , Showroom Cinema & Café Bar , We The Curious
Sept 21 Elokuvateatteri Gilda
Sept 22 The Castle Cinema Hackney , The Aster , Sound Lounge @ Percy
Sept 23 The Capitol Cinema , DCTV
Sept 26 omelas
Oct 4 Haarlem Vinyl Festival

03/09/2026

Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ steamrollered its way into 1991 to change the sound of rock music forever, and its resounding influence has never waned.

Join us as we celebrate its legacy at these three special dates in London and Denmark (with apologies to those of you who wanted it elsewhere!).

Leave a comment with your favourite lyric and we’ll DM you the ticket links.

02/09/2026

We’re honoured to partner with John Coltrane + Rhino Records to celebrate the release of ‘Highlights 1957-1964’: a new compilation bringing together some of his earliest originals and collaborations released on various labels in one package for the first time. Tickets now on sale (and pre-registration open for the free events we’re throwing in his former home towns, New York and Philadelphia in partnership with Jazz Philadelphia)

Leave a comment and we’ll DM you the ticket links.

Sept 20 Shhh , Showroom Cinema & Café Bar , We The Curious
Sept 21 Elokuvateatteri Gilda
Sept 22 The Castle Cinema Hackney , The Aster , Sound Lounge @ Percy
Sept 23 The Capitol Cinema , DCTV
Sept 26 omelas
Oct 4 Haarlem Vinyl Festival

01/09/2026

Half a century of Stevie Wonder’s sprawling masterpiece ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’ this month. Celebrate the visionary genius of this sumptuous double-album at our listening sessions around the world - introducing CSN Planetarium in Las Vegas and Koda’s lovely new crowdfunded space in Rotterdam to our partner venues.

A 10-minute interval will be held between the two discs of the album.

Leave a comment with your favourite lyric from the album and we’ll DM you the link to tickets.

Sept 8 Empire Bio
Sept 20 We The Curious
Sept 24 The Dale Etheridge Planetarium at CSN
Sept 25 Soho House (members only)
Sept 26 Koda
Sept 30 The Castle Cinema Hackney The Capitol Cinema Elokuvateatteri Gilda
Oct 4 Showroom Cinema & Café Bar
Oct 6 The Aster
Oct 10 + 11 PHI (on sale soon)

19/08/2026

NYC we’re back! Taking over Chinatown’s very cute DCTV for two highly gracious sessions in the next couple of weeks, celebrating the new 5.1 mix of ’s ‘Grace’ and the 40th anniversary of hometown hero Paul Simon’s joyous ‘Graceland’ (also playing at some our other venues across the world). Leave a comment and we’ll DM you the ticket links.

18/08/2026

30 years of Jamiroquai’s towering ‘Travelling Without Moving’ 🤝 celebrate the anniversary with us at our sessions around the world, with an exclusive extended introduction from Jay Kay which he kindly recorded for us for the 25th anniversary. 5.1 mix and Atmos in selected locations where possible. Leave a comment and we’ll DM you the ticket links.

Aug 24 Shhh
Sept 2 Elokuvateatteri Gilda
Sept 6 Glasgow Science Centre + Lumière Cinemas
Sept 9 The Castle Cinema Hackney
Sept 19 CULTVR LAB
Sept 22 The Aster

13/08/2026

🤔 tell us! And up next: Disc 2 of Marcus Hughes’s seminal ambient & jazz-infused drum & bass classic ‘Logical Progression’ on a 7x sub + 16x speaker sound system Riverside Studios. Cannot tell you how good Disc 1 sounded. Honestly one of most mindblowing sessions we have ever had. Amazing feedback. Link in bio for tickets.

12/08/2026

𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕗 𝕀 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕡𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕠 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜 / 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕒 𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕝 𝕞𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕒𝕣𝕜 😎 pumped to celebrate 30 years of this Southern-fried classic from Outkast. The South had something to say and it continues to resonate after three decades.

Leave a comment and we’ll DM you the ticket links:

Aug 20 The Aster We The Curious
Aug 27 Riverside Studios

04/08/2026

Swipe through for 10 slides on the story behind J Dilla’s iconic posthumous masterpiece, The Shining.

Join our 20th anniversary album listening sessions in the dark:

August 20 The Aster
August 27 The Castle Cinema Hackney

Sources: Billboard, AllMusic, Detroit Free Press, BBE Music, Red Bull Music Academy Archive, Stones Throw.

31/07/2026

🤔 an LA R&B classic turns 10 in August and we’re celebrating its enduring legacy and influence The Castle Cinema Hackney and Elokuvateatteri Gilda. What could it possibly be? You’ll be tickled pink if you come, that much we promise you… fly solo or come with a good guy or two, will be pretty sweet nights either way… 🤔

Comment = ticket links in yo DMs

Address

77a Charterhouse Street
London
EC1M 6HJ

Website

http://www.pitchblackplayback.com/

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