‘Bringing Durham’s house party scene to the big stage’: The launch of Soundhaus

We spoke to Soundhaus about their recent launch and plans to bring “Durham’s house party scene to the big stage”.  They aim to offer fun and affordable events, open to everyone, showcasing new talents among aspiring DJs.

‘By students, for students’

Nik, a second-year international student, founded Soundhaus in the summer of 2025, hoping to promote “talent under the surface that hasn’t been scratched yet”.

Soundhaus’s name is a double entendre, understood to mean both house parties and house music, creating a unique fusion derived from its German spelling. Nik told us Soundhaus began as an expression of that interest, honing in on the fact “the best part of the night is pres”.

The events company was formed around Nik’s love and respect for the UK music scene, despite growing up in a variety of countries, including the US, Singapore, and India. He spoke of particular genres like EDM and rock, which ultimately shaped his musical influences, as well as playing the guitar.

A key aim for Soundhaus is to host events through a shared appreciation of music as a “universal language”, irrespective of background; crucially, everyone can connect through music.

Reviving house party culture, or ‘takeovers’

Soundhaus’s unique selling point is its emphasis on house party take-overs, where they perform DJ sets at student houses in collaboration with individual hosts. Nik stressed the importance of cost, as he aims to keep events as cheap and accessible as possible.

The events company recently hosted numerous “pre-release house party takeovers” in preparation for its upcoming launch, providing equipment including speakers and music.

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Soundhaus said they look to create a certain “vibe”, which encapsulates not only an appreciation of the music, but a more general thrill which comes with parties. This refers to meeting new people, discovering new tracks, and bringing the energy for an event as varied as theirs. Nik described this as having “different zones” where people are able to connect in the same house.

Soundhaus’s launch party at Blue Eye

Soundhaus hosted its first official, paid event at Blue Eye, a cocktail bar. The two-story space provided a dual opportunity for socialising and heading upstairs to enjoy the DJ set and dance floor.

Entry was affordable and it reached capacity – a likely sign of bigger and better events to come.

The team plans to collaborate with other names in Durham, and hopes to expand into other cities too.

Showcasing new and upcoming artists

Soundhaus aims to transform the Durham nightlife scene by offering a broad range of music talents, specialising in genres like UKG, techno and house, as well as drum and bass. The company achieves this by sourcing new artists at Durham University’s DJ Society, who meet on Thursdays.

Nik told The Durham Tab Soundhaus finds new artists as part of its commitment to running the project with “as little of an ego as possible”. They believe new faces are an important part of keeping both engagement and excitement high, expanding on the thrill and anticipation of each event, which is different from the next.

He also spoke of the overfamiliarity which comes with DJ companies, stressing that he wants to use this platform to bring new artists in, as it is often hard to get started in such a selective industry.

A fluid approach to music

Soundhaus offers a “more unique and varied” night out, disrupting the smallness and consistency of Durham nightlife with the urban culture of bigger cities such as Newcastle.

This fluidity aims to provide a more immersive musical experience, combined with the social side of events. The focus is on good music, complemented by the joys of house parties through socialising, games, and of course, drinks (if desired).

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