Sun Palace Sound System

22/01/2024

“It felt like everyone was dancing together”

Community is at the heart of . We aim to create spaces where everyone feels welcome to share in the collective joy of music and dancing. Where strangers become friends. Where creative expression is uplifted and differences are celebrated.

It’s an ethos we’re proud to share with community radio. Community radio brings people together - providing a platform where folks can feel seen and heard.

For 8 incredible years, Melodic Distraction did just that; building an eclectic, welcoming community around music, all while nurturing talents, careers, passions and friendships near and far.

Melodic may have closed it doors, but it’s safe to say it left an indelible mark on the North West and on us. The Melodic crew, and the community they created, continue to inspire us.

That’s why we’re delighted to welcome four friends from the Melodic family as our special guests for 🌞February’s Space to Dance:

🌞 - Plant Obsessive & Co-Founder of Melodic Distraction
🌞 - Former Station Manager at Melodic Distraction + regular + Joint winner of ‘s “Best Radio Show” Award 2022
🌞 - Wearer of Snoods, Former Head of Programming at Melodic Distraction + Co-founder of &
🌞 Zaremba - Yacht Rock Enthusiast & Co-Founder of Melodic Distraction

We can’t wait to see these four exceptional selectors go B2B all night long on the Sun Palace Sound System next month.

15/01/2024

SPACE TO DANCE - a party for friends old & new, powered by Sun Palace Sound System
Returning 9th February 9pm - 3am at the Invisible Wind Factory Substation
with special guests: Aitman, Lupini, Snoodman Deejay & Zaremba.

Join us for a night of music and love dancing under the big pink stacks.

Out to for the artwork 🌅.

TICKET LINK IN BIO

Access Info:
Unfortunately, there is no step-free access to IWF Substation. There are 15 steps down to the venue from the main entrance.

An accessible toilet is located upstairs from the Substation (up 15 steps), in a corridor alongside the roller rink - this can be opened by IWF staff on request.

IWF Substation has several off-dancefloor seating options for anyone wanting a disco-sit.

A cloakroom is available.

Nearest train stations are Moorfields or Sandhills. On-street parking is available.

DM us before midnight on Wednesday 7th if you:
- wanna talk access
- wanna scout out the venue ahead of the party
- need a comp ticket for your PA
- need a concession

19/12/2023

🪅 See in the new year with Sun Palace Sound System & friends at ‘s multi-room, multi-genre MEGALOPOLIS fiesta 🪅

Find us in The Deep with & & friends:
- ( )
- ()
- ()
- ( )
- ( & )
- .g.ramsden ( , & )
- ( )

Visit the rollerdome (skates optional) to catch .tbh & .raf & haus of aquatopia dancers.
Or step into the Twilight Zone with , , & .

Sea you there. 🌊

Ticket link in bio.

11/10/2023

Well, that was magical!
To be honest, we’re still at a loss for words after Friday’s sold-out Listening Club in .

It was everything we hoped for and more.
We can’t thank you all enough for how beautifully you embraced the Sun Lounge Listening Club experience. It was PURE POWER to be in a space so charged with collective attention.

To hear these records COME TO LIFE on the Sun Palace Sound System was as moving and glorious as we imagined.

We’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it.

Massive thanks to the IWF crew for all your support!
And props to for supplying the most delectable sweet treats for our listeners.

Now excuse us for 5 mins while we float down from cloud 9…

05/10/2023

ESSENTIAL READING ahead of tomorrow’s Listening Club at Substation.

If you’d like to join us, make sure you snap up your ticket POSTHASTE so we can include you in our lounging plan.

SWIPE for access deets 👈

13/09/2023

Join us for an evening of intentional listening powered by SPSS.

Listening Club is your chance to slow down, switch off your phone & hear music in full colour.

We'll be listening to a trio of evocative albums:
- Julianne Barwick - The Magic Place
- Arthur Russell - Another Thought
- Beverly Glenn Copeland - Keyboard Fantasies

Super limited tickets (£5) so there’ll be plenty of room to recline & unwind.

Teas, coffees & delectable nibbles provided by the excellent factory kitchen crew.

Sun Palace Sound System is a quadrophonic system, built from the best US legacy components, ensuring a sublime, transcendental listening experience.
We can't wait for you to hear it.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1992565941108589

08/09/2023

We had a swell time recording this month’s Sun Palace Sessions!
Head over to ‘s Mixcloud to listen again to our sun infused selections with just a smattering of chit chat.

And there’s more to come this month!
🔴 29/9 Find us ! & will be playing alongside esteemed music aficionados .g.ramsden & @ isaac___rb of + & of on DIY audiophile

🔴 30/9 ‘s playing .liverpool ‘s mammoth 12 hour end of summer rave

Come say hello!

01/09/2023

Back on the airwaves! Catch us Sunday afternoon for more of our fave records 😊

01/08/2023

We’re on the airwaves! Join us this Sunday afternoon over on as we delve into our record collections, explore the evolution and politics of dance music, and discuss the values and experiences that inspired us to build the SPSS.

22/07/2023

We’re playing on the cosmic Origin stage, beside the incredible Lovell Telescope at this weekend!

17/04/2023

Step into the sun with us 🌞

This Saturday, in honour of jazz appreciation month, the Sun Palace Sound System will be powering a superb line-up at .


We can’t wait to hear .and & ( & ) ‘s selections shine.

With stellar support from ( ) and ( ), Saturday’s set to be seriously special.

Expect jazz, soul, vibrant house and delectable grooves.
See you on the dancefloor lids.

09/03/2023

Now the SPACE TO DANCE dust has settled… thanks to all the dancers for your boss energy on the Space to Dance floor. We had the best time dancing with you!
You made all our years of hard work worthwhile.
Big love to Red City Disco'S Theo Wawa Temple for treating us to some of his finest vinyl treasures too.

Can’t wait for our next event? Catch Sun Palace Sound System residents AETHHER & Barney at Invisible Wind Factory's Cosmolopolis next month.
Sumptuous snaps c/o Yasmin Gasimova

17/02/2023

Sun Palace Sound System has returned!
See you on the floor tonight!

02/01/2023

INFLUENCES: COSMIC SLOP

Nestled in an unassuming corner of Leeds' industrial district quietly lies one of the UK’s most unique sound systems. Hand built by Tom Smith, it is a direct line to the American high fidelity systems of 1970s New York.

So far, we’ve talked about some of our vicarious influences; hubs of music and dancing we’ve been partially privy to thanks to the collected accounts of older disciples and diligent social historians. Though these historic reports have done much to inspire us, there is necessarily a limit to their potency - unmatched by the “in the flesh” experience.

Prior to our first pilgrimage to COSMIC SLOP (under the wing of Theo Wawa Temple), we’d assumed the legendary systems, from the early days of dance music, were lost to the past. Hearing records come alive on the Slop system - from Charles Mingus to Eloise Laws, was a revelation and gave us hope that, though very challenging, it was still possible to conceive of something similar for Liverpool.

Whether residents or internationally renowned special guests are playing, the thrall of the Slop system is such that punters happily queue up around the block - waiting their turn to hear records the way they were intended.

Cosmic Slop is not just a party - it’s also MAP Charity's regular in-house fundraiser. MAP is an alternative education provider that gives young people access to a creative education. From woodwork to electronics, to screen printing and graphic design - MAP is committed to developing the next generation of creatives whilst nurturing existing creatives.

Driving home from that first Slop, inspired by Tom’s ingenuity, creativity and passion for music and the arts, the dream of the Sun Palace Sound System was born.

30/12/2022

INFLUENCES: THE LOFT

“A place where no one was judged”

On Valentine’s Day 1970, David Mancuso welcomed friends to his broadway loft for an evening of music and dancing. "Love Saves the Day" would be the first of The Loft parties. Mancuso’s mystic vision was of an egalitarian, inclusive, commerce-free third space where people of different sexualities, ethnicities and economic circumstances could coalesce - safe in the embrace of a burgeoning and diverse community of devoted dancers and musickers.

Far from the posturing and prejudice of some commercial clubs of the era, and amongst a dazzle of streamers and balloons, the sublime marriage of; a radiant hifi, a welcoming and accepting crowd and Mancuso’s mesmerising soundtracking, the Loft dancefloor became a space for collective transformation and reimagining.

“I felt open, spiritually receptive. Like I was part of a greater whole.” Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy.
“You would transcend yourself and just be part of the collective experience… It was this mass that moved as one.” Barbie Bertisch

Mancuso eschewed the moniker of “DJ” in favour of “musical host” - choosing to play each record from start to finish, without mixing, so as to preserve their musical integrity. Mancuso’s emotive auditory journeys, which demonstrated that all music can be dance music so long as it moves people, went on to inspire many seminal selectors including/from; Nicky Siano, Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan, François Kevorkian, David Morales and Tony Humphries.

We are inspired by the joyful, child-like exuberance of The Loft parties and Mancuso’s resolute belief that such spaces can be the cornerstones of progressive communities.

28/12/2022

INFLUENCES: PARADISE GARAGE

“Someday we’ll open the biggest, most fabulous dance club ever - a disco democracy”

What started as idle lovers’ chatter on the steps up to The Loft, led to the creation of one of the most influential dance clubs to have ever existed.

Michael Brody and Mel Cheren (2nd slide) opened Paradise Garage to the public in 1977. Over the course of its decade-long run, the Garage established a reputation as a “temple of music” - thanks, in no small way, to one of the world’s best sound system designers (Richard Long) and one of the greatest DJs of all time (Larry Levan).

The Paradise Garage was made for dancing: the room was acoustically treated and boasted a cushioned, sprung dancefloor plus a custom built sound system (designed by Richard Long with input from Larry Levan) - still revered today as one of the best systems ever.

It was a mecca for dance music and dancers from all walks of life - offering respite from the violence and prejudice so many of its members encountered on a daily basis .

“It was home, a safe haven... There were gay people, there were straight people, drag queens, white, black, asian. It was a melting pot. They all came to express themselves.” Victor Rosado.

Though the Garage, and many of those who made it great (Michael Brody, Mel Cheren, Richard Long, Larry Levan) are no more, its influence on dance music culture persists to this day.

28/04/2022

Thanks to everyone who came down for a dance, and to everyone at the Invisible Wind Factory for having us, we had a blast!

We’re going to take 5 to rejuvenate and tinker with the Sun Palace Sound System. We’ve got some tasty upgrades on the horizon so watch this space.

22/04/2022

The time has almost come, tomorrow night bring the boogie to the Substation!
We’ve nabbed a few upgrades to make sure the Sun Palace Sound System sounds as radiant as possible.
You won’t believe your ears!
Grab your advance tix from
Last entry midnight 🎃
IWF is CARD only

17/04/2022

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better…
After many years on the hunt for an elusive Richard Long crossover, one has finally arrived. Get down to SPACE TO DANCE on Saturday to hear it in action.

16/04/2022

15/04/2022

🌅🌅🌅🌅🌅🌅🌅

Do you crave SPACE TO DANCE?
Whatever your age, body, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion - WE WANNA DANCE WITH YOU.
Because clubbing *SHOULD* be for everyone. Because DANCE & MUSIC ARE FOR EVERYONE.
We believe in accepting dance floors where all bodies are uplifted.
We believe in dance floors where you feel safe to be you.
We believe in diverse, welcoming dance floors where self-expression is standard .
We believe in dance floors without phones - where eyes & hearts remain open to connection.
We believe in the transcendental power of otherworldly sound c/o Sun Palace Sound System .
We believe in the potential of the dance floor to: unify, create community & offer catharsis.
We're building something & we want YOU to be part of it.
Join us 23/04 in Invisible Wind Factory Substation for our launch. 🚀



[ID: "Space to Dance - a new nighttime home for Liverpool's dance enthusiasts. Dance with us 23/04 IWF Substation. Sun Palace Sound System."]

28/03/2022

Diaries at the ready dancers!
Sat 23rd April Sun Palace Sound System returns to Invisible Wind Factory Substation for the inaugural SPACE TO DANCE disco.
Expect good times, global grooves, house & disco all sorts from the SPSS residents.
Limited advance tix from RA- don’t sleep on this one… it’s not to be missed!

https://fb.me/e/1nBLccvmy

14/02/2022

Well that was great! We had so much fun 😊.
BIG THANKS to all our supporters near & far.

Time for a well earned rest now but stay tuned for more music and dancing in abit.

Thanks to Phil Charnock for capturing this snippet of Dancing for Mental Health dancefloor euphoria

14/02/2022

Saturday night was incredible. 😊
Thank you to all the dancers who came down.
Having some much needed rest and recuperation, but we will be back soon!

Wow! What a GLORIOUS night!
Our hearts are FULL of love & appreciation for everyone who made Saturday's Sun Palace Sound System Dancing for Mental Health - Valentine's Disco SO JOYOUS.

Special shout outs to our amazing team of good eggs who helped us to turn our dream into a reality:
Aaron Farrell Abby Boak Bryony Ford Claudia Windle Freddy Francké Howard Ashley Storey Joe Wills Maryke JN Matilda Jacobs-Teekens our parents, Rick Lucas & Zoë Morrison-Griffiths .
Big thanks to everyone at Invisible Wind Factory for having us!

We're going to take a lil break to recharge but we'll be back soon with more music & dancing.
Watch this space...x

12/02/2022

Not long now until we dance together with Dancing for Mental Health’s SOBER DISCO

Please note, there is no guestlist tonight! So get down early to grab a ticket, once they’re gone, that’s it!

Label:FFRRCatalog #:FXDJ 189Format:2 x Vinyl, 12", PromoCountry:UKReleased:1992Genre:Electronic Style:House, Garage House

11/02/2022

RLA systems are all about giving the DJ ultimate control. A high voltage discrete DJ mixer, with an incredible amount of headroom, ensures that is impossible to clip or ‘redline’ a signal. A downside of this is the huge amount of gain available, and a DJ can easily overload the system if too careless. A DJ crossover, not an isolator, provides direct control to the tweeters and subs, bypassing the usual processing and limiting in standard systems.

The DBX 3BX is a dynamic range expander, useful for LPs playing at 33rpm, as the grooves of the record are a lot closer together and often have a slightly compressed sound. A squashed modern track comes alive when given some expansion. The DBX 500 ‘boombox’ is connected in line to the subs. This adds extra thump and low end to a record, if required. Older vinyl is very bass light, so combined with the boom box, they sound like a modern bass heavy tune. The boom box with a modern track is often overbearing!

If too heavy handed with all these controls, things can be damaged very easily. But in the hands of someone who knows what to do, it is unlike anything most have ever heard, with a huge range of expressive dynamics available.

22/01/2022

Just got a delivery of a few special bits, been searching for one of these for quite a while. Come to our first party at the Invisible Wind Factory with Dancing for Mental Health to hear it in action!

20/01/2022

Coming soon…