As it was always meant to be heard: Jon Hopkins’ RITUAL 360° performance

Jon Hopkins’ set at Polygon Live LDN is slightly different to some of the others. Rather than a live performance, his set is hybrid — part playback of his latest album RITUAL and part live performance. Here’s what you can expect.

About RITUAL

Jon Hopkins' most recent album RITUAL, released in August 2024, is a 41-minute ceremonial piece that transcends traditional album formats, inviting you into a profound sonic journey. With 440 layers of production, it blends rich soundscapes and hypnotic elements, creating an immersive experience that feels both personal and expansive. 

The work is designed to guide you through a meditative space, encouraging deep focus and presence. Each section offers distinct sounds, from chants to rhythmic explorations and organic sounds that add a layer of warmth and grounding.

“I have no idea what I’m doing when I’m composing. I don’t know where it’s coming from, or where it’s going. I just know when it’s finished,” says Hopkins. “What is clear is that this one had the structure of a ritual. I know what that ritual is for me, but it will be something different for you. All I know is it felt like a tool, even a machine, for opening portals within your inner world, for unlocking things that are hidden and buried. It doesn’t feel like an album, therefore, more a process to go through, something that works on you.” 

Lovingly constructed from many hundreds of constituent parts from a cast of trusted collaborators, Hopkins describes his role as akin to “building a temple”, with every brick and detail carefully fashioned and coloured in service to the whole.

How RITUAL will come to life at Polygon Live LDN

With its exquisite components, its subtle nuances and transformative moments, RITUAL is ideally suited for Polygon’s system. To bring it to life at Polygon Live LDN, Hopkins has been working closely with our spatial audio engineers to tease out the individual elements of each track so that they can be spatialised. The result is a truly novel listening experience: the first time RITUAL has been presented in immersive audio at this scale. As Hopkins himself has said, “This is the way I always dreamed RITUAL could be experienced.”

On Saturday, 3 May, RITUAL will be played on the Polygon 360 sound system. Towards the end, Jon Hopkins will give a short live performance on the grand piano, accompanied by Leo Abrahams on guitar and Emma Smith on violin.

This hybrid playback and live set is a carefully crafted journey that will be unlike any other Jon Hopkins set you’ve experienced before. Whether you’re a newcomer to his music or an ardent fan who has followed his career closely for years, Hopkins’ Polygon Live LDN set is designed to be a highlight.

To find out more, check out Jon Hopkins behind the scenes studio session.