- The man behind XOYO, Phonox and The Nest talks shop.
- Around the middle of 2013, rumours started to circulate in London's dance music community that XOYO had an ambitious plan in the works. It would involve a single DJ headlining the venue for 12 consecutive weeks, a style of programming that was reminiscent of the big summer-long residencies in Ibiza. To hear Andy Peyton tell it, many people he explained the concept to told him he was mad and it would never work. Two and half years after Eats Everything began the series, it's clear that it not only worked, it's been a smash success. Somewhere in the middle of all this, Peyton and his team took another seemingly big risk. They installed Jasper James, a relatively unknown young DJ from Glasgow, to be the weekly resident at Phonox, their impressive new 600-capacity club in Brixton. James would headline every Saturday night, and if there were guests they'd be unannounced.
These sorts of bold decisions have made the The Columbo Group, the hospitality and events company where Peyton is a director, one of the most significant new forces in London nightlife. The group recently took over the iconic Jazz Café and announced its acquisition of the Camden Barfly, adding to a roster that already included the popular Dalston venue The Nest—plus they've got their first festival, Sunfall, this July. Peyton has been central to all of this, so there was plenty to talk about when he recently sat down in London with RA editor Ryan Keeling.
TracklistNick Höppner - Relate (The Black Madonna Remix)
Isaac Tichauer - Higher Level (Bicep Remix)