Loop Hole Dub Station seemed as if a bunch of mates threw together a little event just to vibe to their favourite records, but it came together in the best possible way. The night had a refreshingly DIY feel to it with fairy lights strung across the ceiling, candles dotted around the decks and a couple of dub FX boards stacked on top of a crate of orange juice cartons.

Despite this amateurish style, the Groundforce soundsystem they had imported filled out the tiny room easily, the bass shaking you to the core and bringing these rare roots records to life.

Loop Hole beautifully emphasised the unique culture surrounding vinyl. There was a stand selling a small collection of reggae and dub records on both 12” and 7”, where you could have a listen on the turntable they’d set up before you buy, which seems to be a rarity nowadays. It was the perfect atmosphere to enjoy music in one of its purest forms, and the love of the genre was clear with a real sense of community between everyone who was there.

It took a couple of hours for the Hyde Park Book Club to fill out, but once it did, it was so full that the crowd was spilling outside. Loop Hole seems to have already outgrown its tiny capacity and it’s clear that they’re on to something big.

Isobel Moloney

(Image: facebook.com/1oopho1e)