New London nightclub: Phonox launches in Brixton with resident DJ Jasper James

Amid regular news of closures and licensing restrictions comes a cheerier announcement for London's clubbing scene
Work in progress: Phonox is coming to Brixton
Ben Norum4 August 2015

New nightclub Phonox will arrive in Brixton next month, playing ‘forward-thinking electronic music’. It will include a weekly residency from Glasgow-born techno DJ Jasper James every Saturday along with special unannounced guests, and will also feature as a bar up until 10pm.

It’s being brought about by the Columbo Group, which is also behind Shoreditch’s XOYO and Nest in Dalston as well as pubs including Paradise by way of Kensal Green and restaurant chain The Blues Kitchen.

Its opening is particularly significant given the tiny number of new clubs able to launch in London in comparison to all the closures of recent times.

It will take on the site of former nightclub Plan B on Brixton Road, which itself closed in June. At the time, Columbo group owner Steve Ball said: “The news of the closure of Plan B was met with mild panic in clubbing circles. London has lost so many clubs recently and everyone was thinking ‘oh no, not another one’. But I believe that this is very much a good news story – we may have taken over an existing club but we are going to invest in and vastly improve on what was there.”

A large part of this ‘improvement’ is the signing of Jasper James. Having recently played at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and Farringdon’s Fabric, he is a fast growing name on the techno scene and a bright young talent. At just 24 years old he is the youngest DJ to play at the legendary Sub Club in Glasgow, and he already has an Essential Mix and a Rinse FM show under his belt.

James said: “It’s an absolutely amazing opportunity which I'm extremely excited about, but at the same time I'm nervous and realize how big a responsibility it is to be playing in the same club week in and week out, keeping it fresh and interesting for the punters and regulars.”

The resident: Jasper James

He will be joined regularly by special guests, but these will not be announced. He explains: “The idea is that when big artists play clubs you get a lot of people going just for the name and what is perceived as being cool, rather than the music itself. The point is that Phonox will be about the music.”

He added: “I don’t really know what to tell people to expect – I’m just going to play as it comes, stay true to my sound and play the sort of thing I enjoy.”

Also on the line-up for the club’s first few weeks are Julio Bashmore, Gilles Peterson, Kenny Dope and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.

Phonox will open on September 12. Entry will be free between 6-10pm when the venue is in bar mode, tickets will be £5 after that (advance) and £10 on the door. It will stay open until 4am.

418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY; phonox.co.uk

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