By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – London, the intersection of electronic innovation and musical heritage has rarely found a more poignant stage than the hallowed halls of Abbey Road Studios. In a new documentary that captures a collision of eras, the Belgian maestros Soulwax have unveiled a cinematic look at their unprecedented takeover of the world’s most famous recording institution. Directed by the visionary So Me and produced by the acclaimed creative house Iconoclast, the film, titled Abbey Road After Hours, serves as both a concert film and a historical document, charting an event that many believed would never be sanctioned within the studio’s conservative, wood-paneled walls.
The documentary provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes perspective on an evening that took place on Saturday, February 21st, 2026. For those lucky enough to attend, the event was the culmination of a secretive, grassroots campaign that felt more like a 1990s illegal warehouse gathering than a corporate-sponsored gala. Eschewing traditional ticket platforms, Soulwax utilized a "rave hotline," requiring fans to call in for a chance to secure a spot. This move signaled the brothers’ commitment to the counter-cultural roots of dance music, even as they occupied a space synonymous with the musical establishment. Only 300 fans were granted entry, making it one of the most exclusive and sought-after invites in recent London memory.
The film meticulously tracks the progression of the project, beginning with the grueling rehearsal process. Viewers are treated to the sight of Stephen and David Dewaele—the brothers behind the Soulwax and 2manydjs monikers—navigating the technical labyrinth of Studio Two. This room, which famously birthed the majority of The Beatles’ discography, was transformed into a laboratory for the Dewaeles’ unique brand of synchronized, live electronic performance. The documentary captures the tension and the triumph of recording brand-new material with a full live band just twenty-four hours before the public was allowed through the doors. This "live-to-tape" approach has long been a hallmark of the Soulwax ethos, emphasizing the human element within the mechanical pulse of the synthesizer.
Central to the documentary’s narrative is the debut of the DEEWEE Soundsystem. For audiophiles and club historians, this was perhaps the most significant technical aspect of the night. The custom-built installation was modeled after the legendary setup of New York’s Paradise Garage, the venue where Larry Levan pioneered the art of the modern DJ set. By bringing a sound system designed for the ultimate club experience into a space designed for the ultimate recording experience, Soulwax created a sonic environment that was both physically overwhelming and crystal clear. The film highlights the craftsmanship behind the DEEWEE system, illustrating how the brothers sought to replicate the warm, analog punch of the 1970s and 80s club scene for a modern audience.
The historical weight of the venue is a recurring theme throughout the film. Abbey Road, which celebrated its 90th anniversary not long ago, is a temple of sound. Its corridors have been walked by titans across every conceivable genre: from the psychedelic rock of Pink Floyd and the Afrobeat rhythms of Fela Kuti to the modern linguistic dexterity of Dave and Little Simz. It has hosted the grandeur of Shirley Bassey and the raw soul of Amy Winehouse. Yet, in nearly a century of operation, the studio had never opened its doors to a mass public party in this fashion. The documentary captures the surreal sight of strobe lights flickering against the iconic acoustic baffles and a crowd of 300 dancing in the very spot where The Dark Side of the Moon and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band were meticulously crafted.
The film also serves as a companion piece to the brothers’ recent discography. It provides context for the evolution of their sound following the 2025 release of All Systems Are Lying, an album that was praised for its sharp social commentary and its blend of industrial textures with infectious pop sensibilities. By performing this material live at Abbey Road, Soulwax stripped away the studio polish to reveal the mechanical heart of the compositions. The documentary shows the band—augmented by multiple drummers and a phalanx of vintage synthesizers—working in a state of high-intensity synchronization.
Beyond the performance, Abbey Road After Hours explores the aftermath and the cultural ripple effects of the event. It delves into the philosophy of the DEEWEE label, the creative hub founded by the Dewaeles in Ghent. The label has become a beacon for a specific kind of musical purity, focusing on 12-inch vinyl releases and an aesthetic that values the tactile nature of music production. The Abbey Road event was the ultimate expression of this philosophy: a one-off, ephemeral moment that was captured with the highest possible fidelity, both sonically and visually.
Director So Me, known for his long-standing collaboration with the French label Ed Banger and his work with artists like Justice and Kanye West, brings a kinetic energy to the film. His camera work avoids the static cliches of traditional concert films, instead opting for a fly-on-the-wall perspective that makes the viewer feel like the 301st person in the room. The editing mirrors the frantic, precise nature of Soulwax’s music, cutting between the sweat of the performers and the awe-struck faces of the audience.
The documentary also takes a moment to reflect on the brothers’ enduring legacy. In 2023, they celebrated the anniversary of their seminal mix As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2, a project that arguably invented the modern mashup and fundamentally changed how a generation of listeners consumed music. That mix, which blended everything from Dolly Parton to Emerson, Lake & Palmer, showed a duo that refused to be boxed into a single genre. The Abbey Road event is the logical conclusion of that trajectory—a refusal to accept that a "recording studio" cannot also be a "nightclub," or that "high art" cannot also be a "rave."
For fans of Soulwax, the film is a treasure trove of technical detail and musical passion. For the casual observer, it is a fascinating look at how heritage institutions can be revitalized through contemporary subcultures. The documentary does not just show a party; it shows the labor, the history, and the engineering required to make a party feel effortless. It documents a night where the ghosts of rock and roll’s past met the architects of electronic music’s future, resulting in a sonic explosion that resonated far beyond the walls of St. John’s Wood.
As the film concludes, the sun rises over the famous zebra crossing outside the studio, and the 300 attendees spill out into the London morning, the documentary leaves the viewer with a sense of the temporary nature of such magic. Soulwax has always been a project defined by movement—moving between aliases, moving between instruments, and moving between the underground and the mainstream. Abbey Road After Hours captures them at a moment of stillness, standing at the center of the musical universe and making it their own, if only for five hours.
In an era where music is often consumed as a disposable digital commodity, Soulwax’s Abbey Road takeover and the subsequent film remind us of the power of the physical space. It reminds us that sound is something to be felt, that history is something to be lived in, and that sometimes, the best way to honor a legendary institution is to turn the volume up until the foundations shake. The documentary is now available for streaming, offering a window into a night that redefined what a rave could be and what Abbey Road could represent in the 21st century.