The recently Europe-relocated Gordy Zola  changed the colour of my day with this inspiring description of a new store recently opened in the ‘Dam. Red Light Records guarantees a happy ending…

Imagine if you will, your favourite DJs opening a record store together. For myself and a whole lot of others this came true as the opening of Red Light Records introduced us to a stellar mix of weird and wonderful records dug throughout Europe as well as taken directly from the collections of the three co-owners, Tako Reyenga, Abel Nagengast and Jamie Tiller.

Digging through basements in Greece and flea markets in Antwerp, to the most unassuming music shops on desolate German highways, Reyenga, Nagengast and Tiller are in a league of their own with their knowledge matched only by their taste. Unlike many DJs who strive to keep discoveries “secret”, the trio has created a sharing environment in the store where the customer can feel comfortable to peruse as well as be introduced to the unknown.

While RLR was full of records from my wantlist, I was actually more excited to hear things in the store that I didn’t know before and Tako, the main store clerk who makes sure the speakers are always warm, was more than happy to introduce and expand my mind.

It really is a “world music” store with well organised crates categorised by country and then by genre, spanning from ambient and folk to electronic and funk. Conditions are very nice throughout and the prices fair.

The district itself is going through a cleansing process, scrubbing itself of its unsalubrious past and bringing some culture to the centre. RLR’s neighbour Red Light Radio has had an extremely positive effect on the area and the whole city since its launch over a year ago, and the record store is seldom quiet with local and visiting DJs dropping in before or after their sets on the radio station next door. When you’re there, make sure you check out Vintage Voudou directly next door which specialises in exotic vinyl. I caught the owner spinning at a party in Amsterdam when I was there and it was positively infectious music that struck you hips first!

I’m already looking forward to my next visit and to see the areas transformation into something closer to its surrounding laneways, streets and canals which really are charming.

Keep an ear out for Red Light Records’ soon to be launched label Music for Memory which will release comps and unreleased material from incredible music makers. Meanwhile here’s some mixes from the guys that will have you booking the next flight to Amsterdam.

Red Light Records Oudekerksplein 26 , Amsterdam, 1012GZ, Netherlands

“New York, New York is where we live and we’re thorough
Never taking shorts cuz Brooklyn’s the borough”

Having come of age to a walkman-delivered soundtrack of golden-era hip hop jams I’m a sucker for the romance and mythology of New York city. My own time record shopping there was an all too brief period in 2007 and I’ve been itchy to get back ever since. The following look at some of NY’s lesser-documented digging spots, contributed (again!) by Noise In My Head’s Michael K hasn’t helped. A libation of gratitude to him.

New York City – the big smoke. The birthplace of hip hop and disco and many booming generations of DJ culture. A great spot for you and thousands of record buyers. Things get competitive and shops have a fast turnaround. If you’re looking for a digger’s guide, the comprehensive breakdown over at Discogs’ International Record Store Index is an essential starting point. Though on a recent trip I observed that this is getting a little outdated so here’s a walk-through of some new or neglected second hand dealers. I’m again avoiding covering the A1 and Academy institutions as they’ve been documented so many times before. However, they’re still worth hitting daily!

I never walk out of this East Village spot empty handed. Ideal for buyers of soul, jazz, disco and hip hop, with splatterings of soundtracks, latin, rock, libraries etc. Crammed dollar bins beneath the racks. Scored a Brazilian lazy disco LP while my wingman filled a bag of soul LPs for practically donuts.

They have a sister store in Jersey which I’m yet to visit but some of the records warehoused here are listed on their discogs profile  (if there’s anything of interest they’ll apparently send it over to this East Village location). Barely a block away from Academy (415 East 12th St) which never disappoints.

 Big City Records, 521 E 12th St, Manhattan, NY 10009

One of the many tightly clustered spots on E 5th St, Good Records is always well stocked with secondhand jazz, rock, soul, disco, rap, house, latin, reggae, blues, folk and soundtrack LPs, 12″s and 45s. Top rarities behind the counter too.

The owner was once clearing a stash of sealed Bob Chance – It’s Broken originals and must either frequently travel to the African continent or have a great hookup there because he’s always dealing premium highlife, afrobeat and obscure Nigerian/Ghanan boogie titles on eBay. I had a nice bump into psych-hip hop MC/DJ Edan who was having some luck scouring the racks on a sunny afternoon.

Good Records, 218 E 5th St, Manhattan, NY 10003

Feel constant positive vibrations at Tropicalia In Furs. The staff always seem to be having a good time, blaring music and having a laugh out back. Predominately a Brazilian specialty store with a healthy serving of other genres. A pretty overstimulating space with orange walls coated with records, including a cool display of sleeves designs based around the image of an eye.

Tropicalia In Furs is a treasure trove of 60s/70s/80s Brazilian funk, folk, revolutionary rock and bossa nova. Sadly these aren’t cheap and often in rough condition, but this is not indicative of the whole store. Worth going for a rummage as there’s something in there for everyone.

 I also highly recommend walking across the road to Gimme Gimme Records (325 East 5th St). The owner teaches piano in the building so its only open Fri-Sun. While the hours didn’t work out for me this time around, I’ve had golden runs here in the past.

Tropicalia In Furs, 304 East 5th Street, Manhattan, NY 10003

Reggae, roots, dancehall, ska and rocksteady specialists in the skirts of Chinatown. A shop for the heads, the small space has 45s packed floor to ceiling, stocking current releases and tracing all the way back to the 1950s. Daunting for infrequent dabblers like myself though the staff are more than happy to pile up suggestions based on your interests.

Prices are perhaps marked for their Japanese collector market which is a little disheartening given the city’s large Jamaican population and NY’s close proximity to Jamaica and the UK, but deeper diggers are destined to uncover some gaps here. I’m surveying the non-purist disco reggae sound at the moment so at least walked out with a free knowledge expansion. Worth checking out if you’re in the neighbourhood eating dumplings. The crew also run regular parties at a bar around the corner called Happy Ending.

 Deadly Dragon Sound, 102 Forsyth St # B, Manhattan, NY 10002

Hot tip from Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control. Not sure how I’ve missed this spot during previous visits but it’s been open since 2009. Run by two former managers of Academy Records, CO-OP 87 has an amazing selection of new and used across the board.

You’d expect it to be well picked over considering its Greenpoint location, but this is hardly the case – regularly flushed with enough new arrivals to go round. A massive offering of disco singles (no junk, just the icing!), reasonable prices, tempting wall relics and a tonne of dollar bits out the front. Hauled some great dancefloor 12″s and some $4 soft rock LPs. Staff had a positive attitude. Wishing this was my local!

CO-OP 87, Guernsey St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

This store used to be a lesser known spot lurking below a vintage store in Williamsburg. Their new Greenpoint site is less dingy basement and more welcoming open plan. I went the opening day and it was too packed to photograph, but customers were walking out with big grins and 30 record piles in tow.

Loaded with cheap staples, Record Grouch is the ideal place to affordably start a collection from scratch. Close to the infamous Thing (1001 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222) and also Permanent Records (181 Franklin Street  Brooklyn, NY 11222).

Record Grouch, 986 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Well, probably not. Dim Sim goldmine, sure.  But I did walk out of this textbook music stall with the 12″ dub mix of Womack and Womack’s Life Is Just A Ballgame; the 7″ of Thinking of You by Paul Weller; Tom Tom Club’s The Man With the Four-Way Hips 12″ (already owned but couldn’t leave it behind); Fashion Fabrique; Capella Heylom Halib (for old times’ sake) and the Amii Stewart/Mike Francis outing pictured below. Unfortunately it’s not Mike’s finest hour.

Really feeling the collage vibrations here. It’s like being inside a giant 1980s high-school folder or something. Not what you’d call well-organised, but definitely worth a rummage once you’ve stocked up on witlof.

Collector’s Fair Memorabilia, Stall 255, Corner aisle F and East aisle (opposite Claypots) South Melbourne Market

Michael Kucyk of the always excellent Noise In My Head recently returned from some deep excavations in Japan.  The insights he shares into some of the lesser-explored digging spots of Tokyo and Osaka will have you on the next plane.

There really is no place like Japan for digging. With stores tightly clustered in most districts, it’s a wonderland where you can explore every alleyway, basement and above ground level for mint music across all genres and origins. Mine deep for Japan’s amazing domestic music as well as rare Japan-only releases of western artists, plus every other oddity that mysteriously found itself in common circulation and has been well treasured by this devoted audiophile mass community. Just picture a record sleeve and it will magically appear in front of you!

First things first – pick up a copy of Record Map. Updated every year, Record Map is the essential guide to shops in every city and district in Japan, with easy to follow maps and less easy to decipher descriptions of each store’s specialty.

The book will set you back a measly 2,000 yen but will pay immediate dividends as most shops marked with a ‘lucky icon’ will reward you with 10% off (or slightly less). Despite the language barrier, Japanese people are incredibly helpful and generous with their time. Feel free to ask a fellow shopper or the store owner to recommend other places within the area and they can simply mark the maps for your reference.

While I spent a lot of time and money at bulk second-hand chain stores like Disk Union, RECOfan and Yellowpop, I got a real kick out of supporting the smaller independents, which were all run by kind folk who travel abroad regularly, actively sourcing interesting stock for their unique stores. The following is a selection of my favourites.

Specialising in Latin, soul, jazz and rock, Rubbergard lies quietly in the back alleys a few minutes walk from Jinbōchō station. It offers a premium selection lovingly curated by an enthusiast of the Central and South Americas. The beautifully fitted out store is refreshingly open with two listening stations sitting comfortably in the centre and ‘Nice Price’ boxes littering the floor.

Here I salvaged many smooth groove Brazilian relics as well as some hot Japanese discs which the owner kindly recommended – the Nadja OST 7″ (light funky!), Akira Sakata – Tenoch Sakata 10″ (mental avant-electronics on the Better Days label) and Toshiyuki Honda – Opa Com Deus LP (recommended pseudo-Brazilia). Check out their website which is updated regularly with new arrivals.

Rubbergard Records 1F, 1-38-6 Kanda Jinbō-chō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan