The Client

“Eat Early – let the DJ take over – drink late”

Dirty Bones is a NYC-inspired food and cocktail concept, created by two friends who loved the New York vibe and wanted to bring it to London.

Founders Cokey Sulkin and Dipak Panchal brought their vision to life with locations on Denham Street in Soho, Kingly Court just off Carnaby St and, most recently, beyond the capital in Oxford.

The Dirty Bones concept is a contemporary blend of creative American-style comfort food – using only top quality ingredients – and signature cocktails mixed by some of the best bartenders in town.

Brooklyn-style club tunes of pure old skool – from classic hip-hop to funk and soul – are a memorable backdrop for people to kick back, let loose and enjoy those “good times” once more.

Project Brief

The two partners had a clear vision for their venture.

“Music is life. Music is always there when you’re having a great time. And music is what makes us different. We don’t do background music like other restaurants — we push it to the front and treat it with the respect it deserves. It’s what Dirty Bones moves to.”

System Solution

At Dirty Bones, the emphasis was not only on delivering sound excellence. Each restaurant required its own versatile solution for personalised sound management.

A system of Martin Audio Blackline X Series PA loudspeakers was uniquely specified at the Kingly Street venue, with their placement tailored to a specific acoustic space.

At the heart of each system is a BSS BLU-100 processor paired with BLU-3 remote source/level controls for maximum flexibility and control.

Volume levels managed in each zone

The BSS remote control points allow staff and management in each restaurant to select music sources ‘on-the-fly’. Volume levels are managed in each zone, as required, without the need to return to a central equipment rack.

Music is also supplied to the corridors and washrooms at each venue via discreet ceiling loudspeakers, keeping the vibe high for guests and staff on the move.

Change in sound direction at Oxford venue

The newest Dirty Bones restaurant in Oxford represents a slight change in direction for the brand.

Situated in the heart of the city on the recently opened Westgate Roof Terrace, the Oxford venue offers a large feature bar and drinks lounge, an outdoor dining/drinking terrace and an open kitchen. Perfect for after-work cocktails, late-night drinking and everything in between.

Distributed system and plug-in points

Here we opted for VUE Audiotechnik i-Class wall-mount loudspeakers, installed as a distributed system for a more subtle approach. The system is reinforced with a number of hidden sub-bass loudspeakers, which allows sound-pressure levels to be pushed up when needed.

Plug-in points are provided at each Dirty Bones restaurant, enabling visiting DJs, artists and guests to “plug in and play” with the installed sound systems, as required.

End game

Co-founder Cokey Sulkin said, “David at Sound Division straight away understood our concept for Dirty Bones. And was meticulous in ensuring each of the venues would be equipped with precisely the right system to more than handle each of the very different spaces. Our management and staff have all the sound control exactly as we wanted it throughout each resturant, so we’re able to always give our customers an exceptional music experience and a great night out”.