The King of House turns 33 and his baby, Element House turns 11
That oontz-oontz sound that makes you giddy about a Friday night. That dance floor you never want to leave until the sun rises. That hypnotic rhythm that turns strangers into a community.
House music has become part of the language of Lagos after hours, and we have the pioneering force to thank…Element House did not invent Lagos nightlife; it disrupted its vocabulary.
In a city dominated by familiar sounds and conventional club formats, Ronny J and Spektrum Entertainment made space for something different: long electronic sets, international and Nigerian DJs, curated guest lists and a dancefloor where a community that had long existed could call a home.
With well over 100 editions and counting, Ronny still remembers the first Element House like it was yesterday.
“I remember the energy before we opened the doors. It was December 28 2015. We did not know whether Lagos was ready for what we were creating, but we knew the sound deserved a real home for the people that enjoyed it. By the end of that night, I could already feel that it was the start of a beautiful journey. A small room, a deck and people that connected with each other through the rhythm.”
— Ronny J, Founder, Element House
The room was smaller. The audience was unfamiliar with what Element House would eventually become. The sound had not yet found its permanent place in Lagos nightlife, but it started something bigger.
There was no blueprint for eleven years. There was only instinct, intention and the belief that people would come if the music was honest enough.
They came back.
Again. And again. And again.
What began as an intimate gathering grew edition by edition, and for over a decade, Ronny has protected the sound, backed the DJs, welcomed the return faces and created a room the city could claim as its own, and that Africa sees as a destination for a community always present.
Now, as he turns 33, the walls are expanding. As a special birthday exclusive with Guardian Life, Ronny shared plans for Element House’s 11-year celebration…The Eleventh House, a landmark festival arriving at the end of the year that will take the spirit of Element House beyond the recurring room and into a whole new realm with community in mind.
The expansion journey doesn’t end with EH, Ronny is also introducing Talent Hub Africa, an African-owned global talent agency created to ensure the people shaping African culture are not only seen internationally, but properly represented, positioned and exported.
So, this birthday spotlight belongs to Ronny, but the story belongs to everyone who entered the House.
House.
What did Element House give you?
A favourite set? A new sound? A friendship? A place to disappear into the music?
Comment with your memory. Tag your rave family. Follow @spektrumng for more
The House community remembers who built it.
