Launched earlier this year, Public Possession is a project of Valentino Betz and Marvin Schuhmann – who, alongside Bartellow also comprise DJ/production outfit Tambien.

Encompassing a record label and a boutique retail operation, Public Possession is all class. Both shop and imprint are carefully curated and dedicated to quality leftfield club/house/techno vibrations.

The store specialises in labels such as L.I.E.S, Golf Channel, Themes for Great Cities, Discos Capablanca and so on.  There is also a small but excellent selection of secondhand hand records. DJ equipment is also available.

Marvin and Valentino have plans to run regular in-store happenings with visiting international DJs; these will take place “in the late afternoon or early evening in a non-club relaxed atmosphere”.  Sounds ideal.

The Public Possession record label – also launched in early 2013 – has come out fighting with releases from Tambien, Bartellow and Australians Matthew Brown and Bell Towers. Expect a repress of the brilliant first Tambien 12″ in the not so distant future.

Thanks to Melbourne DJ, producer and friend Les Level for facilitating this post.

Public Possession, Klenzestrasse 16, 80469, Munich, Bavaria

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

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

One for all of the trippers out there, F’lmore carries psychedelia and counterculture across all eras, in every variety possible. These amazing records are tightly packed with ingenious descriptive labels – “Spiritual Afro”; “Ambient/New Age/ECM/Chill Out/Raga”; “Minimal Electro/Synth Beats/Cosmic”; “Progressive – Spain”; “CTI, Groove Fusion” and “Brazil/Bossa Nova/MPB” to name but a few.

Was impressed to see some rarities filed away in “Progressive – Australia” as well as a Whirlywirld 7” on the wall. Found quite a few records that I’d been desperately seeking including Goblin’s Contamination soundtrack and an esoteric Rinder & Lewis alias, while a few friends blew my mind with some weapons they pulled out for public play. Given that these are not easy finds, prices were reasonable. There were also heaps of cheap boxes filled with random goodies around the counter. The owner made it a friendly experience.

F’lmore Records Sanko Bldg. 3F 2-1-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Within walking distance of Rare Groove, Revelation Time is a magical store that I’ll never forget. Its owner Eiji speaks fluent English, having previously lived in London and travels to Utrecht twice a year.

Eiji’s stock stands alone as being very Euro-centric but also accommodates a lot of US, Canadian, Bollywood and South American music. Whether it’s new age, Turkish, electronic, psych rock, Balearic or fusion, each category boasts deep knowledge. Even Theo Parrish, Harvey and the Idjut Boys have their own sections.

A quarter of the store specialises in roots, lovers’ rock and digital dancehall in bulk quantities of quality. Revelation Time sets the bar high, almost as if a board of directors had to rigorously judge each record before granting it entry. Just like in dreams, I found many long desired discs here as well as making many exciting new discoveries thanks to Eiji’s recommendations. Just ask him about Japanese new age, cosmic and psychedelic groove and again, allow lots of time for listening. Take a glimpse inside online with audio samples of choice cuts.

Revelation Time, NOA Bld, 4F-A, 4-9-5 Minamisenba, Tyuo-Ku Osaka-Shi, Osaka, Japan

Went here with some local dudes and new friends David McFarline and Julian Horn and (non) collectively, we found some good things.

A real mix. Nice library section, found a cool LP on ‘Selected Sound’. Great jazz, got a Polish LP full of hot grooves, I’ve been wearing that one out. Flashback was the first time I ever flicked through crates that only had the sleeves in them! Strange sensation, like the wax had melted inside. But the staff were chilled, happy to get the numbered vinyl from the shelves behind the jump and let you listen to plenty. Prices were decent.

After the arvo dig we recorded a listening session in the evening which included some things we picked up during the day. You can check it here.

The magic grooves summoned a double rainbow which shone brightly outside the window for a while…

Flashback 50 Essex Road, London, N1 8LR

PS: If you’re in London you gotta check out Misty Macumba – a monthly night of anything of a Balearic inclination at the Star of Bethnal Green. . I had the pleasure of playing there and it’s a great night!

Real nice store, a great range of stock and all of great quality. Too much good stuff to go through with the company of a friend (appreciator but not a digger) so I came back the next day to put in some time and it was a pleasure!

Prices are nice and there is a spot to listen (rare in Europe!) Helpful and friendly store owner. Highly recommended.

PS: Down the street is a techno record store if you sway that way and also a WWII monument of epic proportions which you can’t miss.

Ruff Trade Records Feldstrasse 48 Hamburg, Germany D-20357

Tel +49 (0)40-433736

Part of the pleasure of record hunting in Tokyo is the sheer difficulty of finding the shops. For the navigationally-challenged (like me)  the Japanese street-addressing system can take some getting used to. But it makes reaching your goal even more rewarding when you finally do. After almost an hour trawling Dogenzaka and finding only yakitori bars and love hotels, I located Lighthouse Records down the obligatory alleyway, up several flights of stairs and naturally in a completely different area to where I thought it would be.

Well worth the search though – great selection of House music old, new and all the in between varietals. They also stock Nagaoka carts and a selection of t-shirts and bags. Like many Japanese record shops most of the stock, secondhand or new, has small handwritten labels explaining what the record is, who produced it and so on. These are in Japanese of course but the key names are usually in English so it’s possible to find interesting things that you might have otherwise been unaware of.

Plus there’s Lighthouse’s impressive in-house sound system: Levinson amp, Klipschorn speakers and vintage Urei mixer.

3F Seijitsu Bldg. 2-9-2 Dogenzaka Shibuya-ku Tokyo 159-0043