Friendly Pressure

Friendly Pressure is a bespoke soundsystem studio founded by Shivas Howard Brown. The studio designs and builds custom hi-fidelity audio systems for homes and a wide range of venues, while leading activations that foreground the joy and togetherness of sonic experience. Founder Shivas Howard Brown was born in London into a vibrant Jamaican and Indian household. His journey in sound started by tinkering with his father’s audio systems, sparking an audiophile obsession that would eventually become Friendly Pressure. Friendly Pressure blends timeless design aesthetics with cutting-edge production techniques, marrying the insights of material sciences and audio engineering. The studio began by sourcing and restoring vintage audio equipment, before expanding to bespoke systems and standardized designs. At the heart of its work is the commitment to carry forth the craft stories and community impact of UK soundsystem culture. Friendly Pressure’s bespoke systems have been installed globally in venues, workspaces, and private residences. Shivas has worked in collaboration with renowned architects such as Unknown Works, Charlotte Taylor and EBBA, as well as specialist London interior design hub Spazio Leone. In 2024, Friendly Pressure exhibited work as part of the British Library exhibition ‘Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music.’, a landmark celebration of Black Music’s impact in the UK. In April 2025, Friendly Pressure and Stone Island presented “Studio One”, a bespoke loudspeaker soundsystem and multi-sensory experience at Spazio Maiocchi in Milan, Italy.