‘Great music – every time’: Everything you need to know about Jinky Sounds

Jinky Sounds is a Durham-based electronic music events company that offers unique events in a bid to transform the city’s nightlife scene. We spoke to Ollie de Gentile-Williams, Paddy Harvey, and Dante McNichol, the men behind Jinky Sounds, about why they started Jinky, why they think it’s important for Durham, and what we should look forward to next.

Here’s what they told us:

What and why?

Jinky Sounds was launched last academic year with the aim of bringing a unique musical experience to Durham. After feeling bored of the “repetitive” Durham nightlife (with the only alternative being going to Newcastle), Ollie founded Jinky as an alternative to address what he felt was a gap in the market. Jinky Sounds started out with the slogan “Durham Needs Dance”, but now it hosts one-of-a-kind events (each one is distinct and won’t be repeated again) across the country.

via Jemima Lee @jemzvisuals

However, Jinky remains committed to changing Durham’s reputation as a forgettable night out. Every event has a unique combination of venue, music genre, decor, and headline artists, guaranteeing an unforgettable evening. Since the introduction of Jinky Sounds, the guys feel that Durham has had to “up its game” in terms of the quality of nights out – a change that they feel benefits Durham students and businesses alike.

They also feel there has been a resurgence of people interested in going out for the music (as opposed to just “getting drunk with mates”), so the emergence of a brand focused on a”raw house and garage feel” is both exciting and needed: “There’s a buzz around going out in Durham now, which I don’t think there was last year.”

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What kind of events have Jinky done before?

Jinky offers a diverse range of events, having previously hosted boat and terrace parties in Durham, including an Easter term “Freedom” party at the Angel, in collaboration with Rotate, who they described as friendly competitors.

Other events include their summer white party, renowned for its exciting musical display of house, dance, and UKG songs, as well as last year’s “finale”. This was joint with Cure LDN, again priding themselves on the iconic tagline “Durham needs dance” as part of a commitment to offer something new and exciting to the nightlife scene at university.

Since starting up, Jinky have expanded their scope beyond Durham, hosting events across the UK’s biggest cities, such as DJ sets in Exeter, Bristol, and Nottingham, as well as plans for London shows too. They told The Durham Tab that this is a “testament to how much we have spread over the country as a brand.”

What makes them unique?

via Jemima Lee @jemzvisuals

Jinky offers an alternative spin on the typical nightlife scene here at Durham, expanding the realms of clubbing through a strong appreciation of good music. They promise quality nights out as part of their dedication to a “changing structural dynamic”. They pride themselves on offering something totally different to what Durham has seen before, promising “great music every single time.”

Jinky’s most-renowned selling point is their unpredictability, where each event feels varied, by switching up the location, music genre, and theme, to keep interest high. They stress the importance of good music, offering the chance to discover new tracks each time. They hope to offer something different to the typical club classics in order to “rebrand Durham nightlife” by giving clubbing a new purpose. They offer a rather synesthetic experience, focused on a meticulous blend of the senses – experimenting with light and sound – to create a visually appealing and immersive environment.

The founders described this as a “different kind of musical experience”, which to them, is less repetitive and allows students to immerse themselves in a unique setting, offering a “newfound buzz” at university. This is in an attempt to bring a more urbanised music scene to Durham, whose nightlife has often been critiqued for its size and predictability before.

They aim to stand out amid the crowd, offering a new level of excitement and anticipation. This is heightened by the “scarcity” of their events, as they remain committed to delivering quality nights out, built on extensive planning, and collaborations with top DJs.

What we should expect

Since selling out their first show (and every show since) less than a year ago, Jinky Sounds is now working with artists and brands across the country to host events in a number of major cities.

But Jinky still has a lot to look forward to in Durham this academic year: “Jinky will always have a place in Durham.” From terrace parties, to themed / seasonal parties, to presenting awards, you can expect a lot of events this Michaelmas term – with more details to be revealed on their Instagram shortly.

For instance, tickets for their Pink Party on 1oth October will be out on Sunday. The event, which will take place at The Angel in Durham, is a collaboration with LGOKIAT (Let’s Get Our Knickers in a Twist), a non-profit organisation tackling pant poverty.

While Jinky Sounds hope to continue expanding, “from one week to the next, a new exciting idea comes up’ and their long-term goal is “a secret.” Within the next few years, though, they hope to become the UK’s most popular student-led nightlife brand.

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Featured images via Jemima Lee @jemzvisuals