How listening platforms changed Britain's big night out

If you told someone from anywhere but Britain you were going "out" but not "out out" they might look at you like you had a radish growing out of your head.

- Lydia Spencer-Elliott, The Independent

But here, we all know what that means. You're leaving your home. Maybe you're even getting dressed up. But you'll be back by 11pm. Midnight, at a push.This one foot in the door, one foot out energy is enough to make you feel patriotic. We are, fundamentally, a nation of ditherers. Which is why many of us have been thrilled to discover the surge of hi-fi listening platforms spreading through our cities. The spaces - low lighting, comfy chairs, hoards of records, lethal martinis, good food, state of the art speakers - sit somewhere between a vinyl store and living room. Read: they're the perfect venue for a noncommittal nation's new night out.

Listening platforms originated in Japan in the 50s and 60s, where they were taken very seriously. The experience was akin to going to the cinema: you put a record on, and listened to it in silence. Nobody was allowed to talk. You breathed between tracks like you were at a classical music concert. It wasn't designed as a social experience. In the UK, we've taken a more liberal approach. While supersonic speakers and an impressive vinyl collection are still an absolute must, gentle conversation is also permitted in our hi-fi spaces - along with occasional late-night dancing.