Somewhere in London, WAVES is the party

Somewhere in London, WAVES feels like a secret you somehow discovered online before everyone else did.

On the 12th of July, I dropped into Damnschaq’s house in Shoreditch for the Wireless afterparty, the space was buzzing with anticipation. The crowd was mixed in every sense, different boroughs, international visitors, and Americans who had tracked the party from Instagram stories. It was a melting pot of people who might not have met otherwise, brought together by the pull of music and the promise of something vibrant, alive, and now.

Walking in, the energy hits you immediately. There is no slow build, no time to ease into it. The room pulses with Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Dancehall, punctuated by flashes of old school American rap. It is a carefully curated chaos, a soundscape that blends nostalgia and new school sounds so seamlessly you barely notice the transitions, you just feel them. The nostalgia sound that is Skrapz “One More Chance Freestyle” drops and the crowd moves as one, a collective rhythm that shifts and sways across the floor.

The vibe at WAVES is different from a traditional RnB nostalgia party. Here, people are discovering each other in real time, forming connections through music, through shared reactions, and through the energy of being present. You see small groups forming mid room, others finding friends they never knew they had, and fans recognizing each other by the subtle nod of knowing someone else knows the playlist. It is intimate and expansive at the same time, a contradiction that works because everyone is tuned into the same frequency, now.

Damnschaq is the anchor, the cultural guide through this sonic journey. His presence is not just about the DJ set or the music cues, it is about the energy he sets in the room. People follow his lead, whether that is chanting along, moving closer to the stage, or sharing the moment across social media. WAVES thrives in that intersection between physical and digital culture. Some came after hearing about it online, some were friends of friends, some were diehard followers of Damnschaq. By the end of the night, everyone felt like they had been part of something bigger than themselves, a wave of collective energy that carried across Shoreditch.

The room itself was alive in the details. Neon lighting bounced across faces, cameras flashed, and phones captured snippets of moments that will travel far beyond the space. Social sharing is part of the experience, seeing someone’s story or TikTok later recreates the energy in miniature, letting people who were not there participate in the memory. But being there in real time, with the music moving your body and the energy of the crowd around you, is what makes WAVES unforgettable.

There is an infectious mix of excitement and chill here. People come to move, to dance, but also to vibe, to meet, and to exist in a space that feels both curated and spontaneous. You catch the nostalgia in the occasional throwback track, a nod to the music that shaped a generation, but it never lingers too long. The focus is always on what is happening now, new sounds, fresh talent, and the energy of a room full of people who know how to ride the night without overthinking it.

What strikes you about WAVES is the way it bridges worlds. Afrobeats flows into Amapiano into Dancehall into trap, old school into new school, and the crowd rides every beat. It is music led, yes, but it is also emotion led. You feel the anticipation building, the collective sway of bodies in time with the rhythm, the connection that forms without words. Strangers sing along together, friends laugh mid dance, and everyone is caught in the same pulse.

There is also a sense of discovery here. You notice faces that will show up again at other nights, DJs experimenting with mash ups, fans introducing each other to new tracks. It is an ecosystem of culture in motion, of people who are shaping Black British summer in real time. And just like Room 187, it is not just the music, it is the way the music makes you move, think, and connect.

By the end of the night, the energy does not stop at the exit. Shoreditch streets echo with the afterparty hum, and the memory of the room lingers in DMs, playlists, and conversations the next day. WAVES is a snapshot of what summer 2025 felt like, loud, alive, a mix of nostalgia and discovery, a wave of energy that carries across spaces and communities.

Somewhere in London, WAVES is what the youth, the culture, and the present sound like. Somewhere in London, it is a feeling you carry long after the music stops. Somewhere in London, this is what Black British summers sound like now.