Under the Surface: Behind This Wall’s Lo-Fi, Hi-Fi Contradiction
By Rafi Mercer
New Listing
Venue Name: Behind This Wall
Address: 411 Mare Street, Hackney, London E8 1HY, United Kingdom
Website: behindthiswall.com
Phone: Not publicly listed
There’s no neon screaming for your attention. Just a modest sign and a door on Mare Street, the kind you could pass daily without guessing what’s beneath it. Behind This Wall is literal: a basement bar where the descent feels like stepping backstage into someone’s private listening den.
The first impression is texture—bare walls, muted tones, lighting that barely grazes the surface of tables and faces. It’s not darkness for effect; it’s darkness that serves the sound. The bar stretches along one side, the decks and amp on the other, and between them is space just big enough for the small crowd it seems designed to hold.
The system here is analogue through and through. There’s a tactile pleasure in seeing the DJ cue up a record, dropping the needle with care. The sound is unforced—bass soft-edged but present, mids warm, highs gently rolled so they never pierce. It’s a system for sitting with, not for competing against.
Cocktails here are quiet stunners. Many pull from classic forms—martinis, sours—but with house infusions and seasonal shifts. The connection to vinyl culture comes in subtle nods: drinks named after favourite tracks or artists, pairings suggested for certain evenings’ records.
The room’s design walks the line between lo-fi and hi-fi. Rough brick and exposed wiring meet an audio chain that’s been tuned for clarity. It’s an honest aesthetic: no polished façade to distract from what’s important. Patrons fall quickly into the rhythm—some perched at the bar, others angled towards the decks, all moving in the shared orbit of the music.
On one visit, the DJ stitched together an evening of deep soul cuts, each segue slow enough to savour. The transitions weren’t about showing skill; they were about respecting the space between notes. It’s that kind of room—one that leaves you with fewer words but more feeling by the end of the night.
Rafi Mercer writes about the spaces where music matters. For more stories from the Tracks & Tales, subscribe, or click here to read more.
