Established in Elephant and Castle, 1991, Ministry of Sound has stood the testament of time proving to be a regular spot and entry point for electronic music in the South of London. A simple vision of crafting an arena dedicated to sound first, lighting second and design third. Since its inception, the club has snowballed into a worldwide party name and multimedia entertainment business. Over 30 years on, the iconic club lives up to its name and attracts punters from all across the globe week in and week out. Without a doubt, working across a project on this scale requires commitment, which is exactly what the club has been doing for the past few months.
Since last August Creative Director Simon Moore has been on a mission to “showcase the club like never before.” From relaunching their website, “All Gone South”, and a new programming approach; art director and curator Galen Bullivant from Satellite wanted to push the boundaries even further with a visual creative video that would help reshape the public’s perception of the club.
Inspired by ‘Singing In The Rain’ where the protagonist enters a dream-like space and loses themselves through dance and music, the team wanted to emulate that feeling which can be caught in the essence of the dance floor. The club is utilized as the set which aims to spotlight the different tweaks and refurbishments made to the venue on the inside. Recognising the parallels between the human body and the club’s structure, dance is used as a metaphor depicting the club’s evolution.
Through intensive research with dancers Zakarius Harry and Delilah Grocott Cain, they used the medium of dance as a vessel to translate the progression of a night out. Emulating escape, the Ministry of Sound can be seen as a safe haven where equilibrium is found away from the mundane 9 – 5. As the two dancers glide from each space they can be seen responding to each space and its distinct features accompanied by a soundtrack crafted by Magnus Brandt. Focusing on the barebones of the style and architecture of the building, the team wanted to bring the core values back to their roots in stripping things back to bring even more attention back to the music, embracing a raw setting where everyone is welcome.
An essential aspect of the video was to capture the diverse perspectives of the club to signify how much it has grown over the 30 years. It acts as a timestamp proving how far they have come as where the club currently is, setting it aside from the rest of clubland and solidifying it as the institution that it is revered for. Opting for an array of camera techniques including Snorri cam, thermal, drones and more orchestrated by DOP Peter Butterworth it is evident that Ministry of Sound is investing in art and putting this at the forefront of their persona. While shorter clips will be released and teased, the main video is longer than typical online ads, going against the grain once again reminiscing on the heydays of campaign adverts breaking away from the oversaturated clickbait content across social outlets.
“The video shows off Ministry of Sound in a way never seen before.
Sometimes less is more, and in the case of the club, it meant literally stripping things back to reconnect with the rawness that was evident when Ministry of Sound first opened its doors.
On the opening night, there was no alcohol, three flashing lights and some moody security guards keeping an eye on a mix of people all there to hear good music on an amazing sound system, which has parallels to what we have done. We’ve plenty of exciting shows coming up and have ambitious plans and projects as the club continues to evolve.
We want to keep pushing the limits and expectations of what nightclubs can be. As part of this evolution, we have a brand new website launching, a bespoke fragrance now found exclusively in the club made by Mark Buxton – which is the first of its kind – and a packed summer season’s worth of shows including Ministry of Pride with Fat Tony, Bob Sinclar, Demi Riquisimo, Piano People, Ammara, Bambounou, NTS, Foreverland, 31 Years of Jungle Mania feat. General Levy and Future Disco with Dimitri from Paris to name a few.”
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Mike Hollingshead
Taking pride in being the first destination for House music in London, Ministry of Sound is a club that is looking forward rather than back as they set the foundation for what will be another 30 years of innovation and of course music. Stripping right down to the heart of where it all began in making way for a new generation of nightlife. Facilitating an understated space where ravers can come together and become encapsulated by the environment without compromising on production as and when they need it. Building a new reactive environment, Ministry is proving that growth is fundamental in their aim to reset the dance floor, and this video will be the catalyst for this.
Thinking outside of “The Box” the campaign aligns perfectly with the launch of a unique fragrance created by famous scentologist Mark Buxton that is now distributed around the club adding more personality and character to its multifaceted four walls. There have also been other sprinkles of magic dusted around the club such as a two-bicle toilet in the ladies with a secret surprise feature!
Below are some highlighted shows from the upcoming season:
13th April: Pulsate w/ Ammara, Daire
3rd May 2024: Future x 31 Years Jungle Mania (General Levy, Basslayerz, Micky Finn)
5th May 2024: Piano People with Mellow & Sleazy
17th May: Future x Bob Sinclar
8th June: Future Disco w/ Dimitri from Paris, Lovebirds (day+night)
28th June: Future x Will Sparks
29th June: Ministry of Pride
13th July Future Day x Sound of Garage DJ Luck & Neat
3rd August 2024: Demi Riquisimo (Day Party)
