Abbey Road Studios Mode with Jon Hopkins: "What they've done is truly incredible"

Ask people what they think about Polestar 3, and you'll get a different response each time. For some, it's an on-track performance SUV. For others, it's a place to explore the wonders of off-road adventure. For Jon Hopkins, it's something altogether different. On the roads outside the world's most famous recording studio, Polestar 3 and its Bowers & Wilkins sound system provided a transformative experience for this musical pioneer and composer. "It was a bit like going from black and white to colour," says the 45-year-old Londoner. 

He is, of course, talking about the first time he listened to Abbey Road Studio Mode—the innovative new listening experience inspired by the sound of the iconic London recording studio. The concept is simple enough: use Bowers & Wilkins' perfectly positioned 25-speaker system in Polestar 3 to represent the sound, spaces, and equipment of Abbey Road's studio and control rooms, connecting the listener with the studios in a unique way. The execution, however, was anything but simple, with decades of progress in sound engineering required to make this happen. "What we've created I don't think would have been possible 10 years ago," says Mirek Stiles, Head of Audio Products at Abbey Road Studios.    

A lot has changed since the first in-car audio systems were introduced over 100 years ago. Back then, bulky vacuum tubes enabled the installation of rudimentary radios. But there was a catch: you could hardly hear the music over the rumble of engine and tyres. Hardly ideal. Hardly immersive. Still, an eager public, thirsty for "at-home" entertainment systems in their cars, was hooked.

"There's something special about cars and music. They just go together," explains George Fryer, Automotive Engineering Manager at Bowers & Wilkins. “Over the past 10-15 years, our challenge has been to transport Bowers & Wilkins’ True Sound philosophy into the in-car environment and get listeners as close to the studio sound as possible. Working closely with the design and engineering teams at Polestar has been pivotal to this process, harnessing their fundamental understanding of the cabin space to optimise the audio system accordingly.”

Personalising the listening experience

At its core, that's what Abbey Road Studios Mode is all about: elevating the listening experience. By replicating the sounds that have made Abbey Road famous over the years through four unique presets (Intimate, Expansive, Open, and Energised), the mode allows users to experience music as if they were in the studio themselves. A producer mode gives users even more control over their audio experience, with tailored sound settings providing granular customisation. "It's about allowing the person in the car to be able to change that environment they're sat in according to their taste. We didn't create these presets with any particular music in mind. It was more about how we could allow people to expand what they already know about being in a car environment."

To bring these modes to life, Jon was tasked with creating two new tracks for the Intimate and Expansive presets. Not an easy request but a challenge welcomed by a composer known for merging experimentation with emotional nuance. "The idea of just having a word and creating for that word is really inspiring for me. ‘[Here] is this word Expansive, make something for that.’ It's a great framework to get started with.” 

For the Intimate preset, Jon created a subtle, contemplative piece evoking the quiet and often private feeling of being in one of the studio's control rooms. For Expansive, his approach shifted. "I came with more of an improvisatory idea. What I really wanted to do was capture the sound of this extraordinary room," he says, referring to Studio Two—the creative space that's been at the centre of Britain's music scene since it first opened its doors in 1931. He ended up with something that feels both vast and personal, simultaneously embracing space and detail. A track as much felt as heard.

Having worked with some of the most influential artists in the industry, Jon is no stranger to big collaborations and big ideas. But even for him, working on this project in one of the most famous rooms in music felt different. "To be invited here to do this, playing on one of the greatest pianos I've ever played, with all of the extraordinary microphones and all the expertise of the engineers who have been here for so long. I feel very lucky, really. It's quite a surreal and wonderful experience." 

Abbey Road Studios Mode is available exclusively with Bowers & Wilkins audio system in Polestar 3. Click here to find out more about Polestar 3.