Collective Spotlight: Beauty and the Beat
In this series, we spotlight up-and-coming collectives who are paving their own way while driving underground culture forward.
Founding and Inspiration
Beauty and the Beat is one of London’s most beloved club nights, sound systems, and communities. It was founded in 2005 by Cyril Cornet, Jeremy Gilbert, and Cedric Lassonde, a group of friends with deep connections to both London and NYC’s underground.
Photograph by Silvia Gin
They regularly cite David Mancuso’s iconic invite-only disco parties at The Loft as inspiration for their club night, which emerged from house party roots. The premise was simple: a custom-built, state-of-the-art, audiophile sound system, a feel-good atmosphere, and fantastic music.
For the first few months, the club night was held in a basement gallery in Waterloo, but it soon outgrew the 100-capacity venue, thanks to rave reviews in Time Out magazine and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Philosophy, Music, and Sound
Beauty and the Beat sought to create something authentic and unique in London, more akin to a legendary house party than a club night. The team has always been proudly non-commercial and independent, with their audiophile-grade sound system the crown jewel in their concept and a rarity in London clubs.
Photograph by Silvia Gin
It’s not a four-point sound system as you might expect, or even a wall next to the decks; it’s a circular system, so revellers dance in the centre, totally immersed in the music. The music itself is known to be eclectic and psychedelic, designed to take dancers on a journey. DJs share a rich mix of underground disco, deep jazzy dance, funk, reggae, acid rock, electro-punk, shimmering pop, and more.
The Musical Policy
Although the night has grown in reputation, it still feels like a curated house party. The music policy is intentionally open-ended, drawing from a vast spectrum of sound, and every month, the night unfolds as a shared journey.
Image courtesy Miguel Echeverria
“Perhaps even more crucial than the music […] isn’t just what you play, but also and most importantly, how you play and present those tunes,” Cedric told Resistor Magazine in a 2021 interview.
In the same interview, Jeremy shares insight into the musical selection. “There’s probably a set of about 100 key classics and a dozen of those will be in the bag any given night,” he says. “Other than that my main strategy is to make sure there’s a decent mix of all the genres that we normally play, so I can play whatever the mood seems right for.”
The Energy
Now, Beauty and the Beat is held monthly at The Bath House (formerly known as Hackney Baths) in London. They don’t provide a guest list, and tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you get to the venue, the better. The team leaves snacks on tables for people to munch on, which adds to the house party energy.
The Bath House is a unique venue. There’s a chill-out bar room in the center, where folk can sit down and catch up with friends, and down a set of stairs, you’ll find the DJ decks, the sound system, and the dance floor.
Image courtesy Miguel Echeverria
One of the most notable aspects of the sound system is how soft it is on the ears, without compromising on volume and quality. The dance area is decked out with wall hangings, plants, and ornaments, all illuminated by soft lighting. It’s a welcome relief from the hard-leaning club nights so popular in London, and a place to dance, unwind, feel free, and lose yourself in fantastic music and one of the world’s best sound systems.
“I have to say, personally, I would feel wrong about having this really expensive system at home just for my private use,” Cedric told Resistor Magazine. “This is a big motivation for the parties for me, really. I am an audiophile and I LOVE having a fantastic system at home, but I’m also a socialist and I’d feel wrong just keeping it in my living room. If we want to get mystical about it, I feel like the system came to us, but it isn’t ours to keep, only to share.”
Twenty years of Beauty and the Beat
In 2025, Beauty and the Beat is celebrating two decades of music, community, and dance. The 20th anniversary party took place on June 21st at The Bath House in Hackney, running from early evening until the early hours, with a special live set by Soundspecies.
On July 19, they hosted a countryside edition on an organic farm near Exeter in Devon under the name Garden of Life. They brought their deep-listening, dance-floor energy to a rural setting, creating a non-commercial and inclusive ecosystem in the heart of the English countryside. The rest of the year is dotted with planned parties in London on August 30, September 27, October 25, November 29, and New Year’s Eve.
For their latest events and updates, follow Beauty and the Beat on Instagram
