Hennessy Sound Lounge
Hennessy Sound Lounge: An Autobiographical Journey Through Sound
Hennessy in partnership with Hen’s Teeth brought the Hennessy Sound Lounge to the heart of Dublin city. Hen’s Teeth, Fade St. Dublin 2 was completely transformed into a lounge inspired by Japanese listening rooms of the 70s and will feature a custom crafted sound system by Toby Hatchett.
Hosted by DJ Sally Cinnamon and took place over seven nights between 19 and 28 July, music lovers and the culturally curious will have the chance to meet with seven collectors including the legendary BP Fallon, singer-songwriter David Kitt and 2018 Choice Music Prize-winning band Ships. Delved a little deeper into their collections, listened to some of their favourite tracks and hear about their lives in the music industry.
Also included a tasting masterclass with Hennessy Brand Ambassador Paul Tuohy to learn about the world’s finest cognac during the taste experience featuring Hennessy Very Special, V.S.O.P. and X.O.
The custom-built sound system was specially created by Toby Hatchett. A boat-builder by trade, Toby has previously combined his carpentry skills with a love of music to create custom sound systems for some of the country’s biggest music festivals, such as Body&Soul, Electric Picnic and Another Love Story. The Hennessy Sound Lounge played host to an eclectic mix of collectors whose musical tastes span the genres and who each had a fascinating story to tell about their connection to the music industry.
DJ, photographer and legend BP Fallon has worked with everyone from Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones. An author, photographer, musician and DJ, he has held most jobs going in the music industry, with the highlights reel including his time as publicist to Thin Lizzy and T.Rex, producing a record with Jack White, playing with U2, photographing the great and the good, and being general assistant at the Beatles’ Apple Records. He describes his collection as “food for the soul and the heart and the hips”.
Musician and producer across multiple genres, David Kitt’s collection is in the thousands today but it was his aunt who recognised his early vinyl obsession at age 12 or 13, gifting him her collection when she moved to Germany. Her collection introduced him to the likes of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix, The Complete Works of Bob Dylan and many early blues recordings from legends including Robert Johnson and Bukka White.
Simon Cullen from Choice Music Prize-winning Ships believes putting a record on creates much more of an occasion than playing an mp3, and feels “more present and connected to the music when listening through vinyl”. His first record was a 7” by The Police, while bandmate Sorca McGrath remembers that, growing up, her house was sound tracked by everything from classical to jazz, to blues and rock and roll.
Berlin-based Paul Diddy, designer at label Luaka Bop, has collected records across the world. From listening to the street sounds when living in New York and using them to make music, to discovering artists such as Orfeu Negro, which opened him up to world music. He has always loved Bob Marley, and is most into the recordings that he made with Lee “Scratch” Perry, with song Rainbow Country being his favourite.
Experimental artist, filmmaker and avid music collector Vivienne Dick shared her thoughts on which records mean the most to her, such as The Contortions, Teenage Jesus, Robert Wyatt, Ornette Coleman, Yoko Ono, Bush Tetra, and chatted about her interest in North African music such as Fela, Rai, Malian and Senegalese – Oumou Sangare and Toumani Diabate.
Cork DJs John Byrne and Colm K have created one of the best collections of Irish funk and soul from the 1970s and 1980s. Pre-adolescence found John switching allegiances, with the all-consuming hobby of the philatelic stamp collecting being relinquished for the records. Colm K started collecting records before he ever owned turntables, and long before he had the intention of becoming a DJ. He collected hip-hop, house, and soul 12” and albums to begin with, and still has most of his first purchases.
Cork musician in all-female band Morning Veils, music programmer for Quarter Block Party, and DJ Aisling O’Riordan has been collecting alternative, soul, blues and hip-hop records since she was 14 or 15 years old, when a friend was given a Sham 69 7”. She tries to buy as many records as she can but doesn’t think she’ll ever have enough. Her collection today is a mix of indie, hip hop, funk, motown and lots more.
Another amazing event staged by Hen’s Teeth….check out the details below.
https://www.hensteethstore.com/collections/store
https://www.hennessy.com/en-int
