It’s a sunny evening in Soho and Dean Street is heaving. People spill out of pubs and onto the pavement – but inconspicuously located mid-way between Italian eateries Grasso and Doppo sits Polygon Portal, an intimate, immersive listening venue that opened earlier this month. “Walking into the space off Dean Street, you immediately feel a sense of calm,” Polygon Productions co-founder Nico Elliott tells Broadsheet.
Polygon’s USP is state-of-the-art sound. The space has been designed to deliver 360-degree spatial audio (technology that simulates a realistic soundstage, as if the music is being played in the room) for album playthroughs, artist-led sessions, live performances and more. “We see how much joy people get out of listening to music in this format,” Elliott says. Speakers are positioned all around the audience to create a sonic cocoon.
Sound is in this building’s DNA. Polygon is located in the former site of Warner Bros De Lane Lea studio, which was used primarily for dubbing feature films, but has also seen the likes of the Beatles, Queen, and the Rolling Stones record songs there. I drop into Polygon with a friend to listen to a playthrough of Jeff Buckley’s beloved 1994 album Grace. With some time to spare, we head to Polygon’s Nine Lives bar that’s tucked away upstairs – a low-key mid-century modern hangout serving cocktails. When a dinging bell announces that it’s go-time we make our way to the warmly lit listening room, collecting blindfolds (for that extra bit of immersion) en route. We settle into squishy pink chairs.
It’s a powerful experience. I feel the reverb of the guitar pound in my chest, and Buckley’s soaring vocals sound like they’re being belted out live. Hallelujah proves so potent for my companion that literal tears are shed. Like being at the cinema, there’s a sense of hush; a reverence for the art we’re collectively experiencing. It goes without saying that phones must be stashed away.
Alongside more dates for a Jeff Buckley encounter, there’s plenty coming up, such as playback sessions for Pink Floyd’s seminal Wish You Were Here, and albums by Sigur Ros, Yann Tiersen and Public Service Broadcasting, plus various artist Q&As. There are also several playlist-accompanied essay series exploring topics such as ambient sound and electronic music through the decades, as well as live performances and films.
There’s a growing appetite in the city for such distraction-free experiences that blend entertainment and wellness; think clubs like Lost and Peckham Palais, where phones are banned, and the growing number of saunas running socials and events. “We're really interested in how music can improve your wellbeing,” Elliott says, adding that he’d like Polygon to act as a “new type of third space that’s based around audio”. In other words, it’s a place where people can commune in an “optimal environment” with spatial sound at its core. Polygon runs yoga classes, breathwork sessions, Qigong, guided meditations and sound baths, all of which can be booked online.
To book any sessions at Polygon, you must sign up for a free membership account to become a Polygon Insider. There is an air of exclusivity to all this – perhaps that’s the intended effect. But spaces are currently uncapped, and anyone can create an account. This, really, is a place for fans and sound nerds to get closer to their favourite artists and albums, and reap the rewards of uninterrupted listening. As Elliott says: “Anyone who loves music, and is interested in this format, is welcome”.
Polygon Portal
75 Dean Street, W1D 3PU
Hours:
Hours vary: check website for sessions.
