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

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

I read the reviews of this place on Record Junkie  before I made the trip and quite frankly I was put off! Having had the negative experience of being kicked out of a record store in Berlin, diggers comments about this place sounded all to familiar. I didn’t even bother writing down the address but came across it by accident and my curiosity got the better of me so I thought I’d give it a go.

I was nervous from the outset, felt like the store guys were watching me! There was just such an overwhelming amount of vinyl in there, more than I’d ever seen in one spot. I didn’t know where to start. The other thing that made it difficult was that it was so tightly packed, you really had to get stuck in. One guy there asked if he could help me and I thought, this is it, he’s going to kick me out -  but he showed me to the section I was after.

I pulled out some good stuff over the hour I was there. Prices were decent. Eventually my arms got so sore I couldn’t lift them to hold rows of records back as a lot of good stuff was on the upper shelves, so I listened to some of my selections through the store speakers. This is always a little bit awkward I find, but the store guys were interested in my choices, even asking what some were. I don’t blame them, with all the stock in the store they can’t remember everything.

There were some real hard core collectors in there at the time. Flicking super fast, talking mumbo, holding scrunched lists of records. It was a cool place! Don’t be put off. You gotta check it out.

Record Collector, Lange Koepoortstraat 105 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

Second hand book stores are where you can really strike gold! There is so much stock coming in constantly as Parisians come off the streets with pre-loved items they hope to get a few euro for. Stuff is priced cheap so they can keep stock flowing in and out again. Really worth a good dig in here.

They have a real mix and the French made so much killer stuff across the board through the 70s and 80s you’re bound to find something interesting. No listening station but with 7″s for €1 I just took a risk with a few that looked interesting. If you’re in Paris for even a week you should pop in to this bustling place a couple of times. Good luck!

Note: A few shops down there is a clothing/art/books boutique. If you go in-store you will see there is a stairwell down to a record shop underground. I forgot to take photos here but you gotta check this place out. Some sweet stuff here, solid LP’s and cosmic 7″s for 50 cents!

Librairie Boulinier 20 Boulevard Saint-Michel 75006 Paris, France

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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!

Round and Round is almost two shops in one – Joe from the late Toot Toot records also has a large portion of his stock there. As well as being in really close proximity to some awesome Middle Eastern pastries, Round and Round is a great place to shop if you’re into prog – rather than being all thrown in together, it’s split up by style or nationality. You won’t find Gong filed next to Goblin here thank you very much. The shop is also excellent for ambient, experimental, noise, techno, and electronic. Note the rave section – a dig through here can be rewarding in ways you might not expect…

Round and Round also has a thorough selection of jazz, soul, indie, grunge etc. It’s very well curated and contains everything one would expect in a quality record shop. The disco selection is small – but they don’t pretend to specialise. As well as my stroll down rave memory lane, finds here included a copy of Lalo Schifrin’s Towering Toccata.

Other key points about Round and Round are its regular in-store gigs (check their website for updates) and its knick-knack heavy decor. Definitely a shop to keep coming back to.

Round and Round Records, 513 Sydney Rd (near cnr of Blyth St), Brunswick, Victoria 3056 Tel: +61 3 9380 5095

Thankfully not some concoction from Masterchef but a great record shop in Prahran. Established by owner Dave Reitman almost a decade ago, Licorice Pie has become a key destination for locals and out of towners alike – if I happen to be showing a vinyl-loving visitor round town I make sure I take them in for a slice.

Licorice Pie has a solid selection across dozens of genres from classical to funk, soul, punk, Krautrock, psych and beyond. Anyone with a bent for Brazillian, Afro  or reggae variants will be very happy here. Also a worthwhile dig for Australian oddments, disco, electronic and library. The section at the rear features a trove of LPs  and 12s at bargain prices.

This is the kind of place you’re bound to find something whenever you come in. Scores from my last visit included Savannah Silver Band Pure Silver LP, Eddy Grant Timewarp 12 and More Sex Stories OST.

Licorice Pie, 249A High Street, Prahran 3181 Victoria, Australia Tel +61 3 9510 4600

The other week I found myself with a few hours to kill in Brisbane’s CBD and decided to embrace the chaos at The Record Exchange. You don’t see stores like this in Australia anymore.

Too large to fit in a photograph – warehouse style, partly organised with piles of random records under shelves, stacked on the floor and coating the walls, with metre high bins of unsorted 45s. The kind of place I’d dig at on a weekly basis if it were my local and time was on my side.

Many cheap gems hidden within so don’t be deterred by the $18 Carly Simon and J.J. Cale LPs (though you could consider renting these from $2 per week). Salvaged some wanted Australian disco oddities and an Innovative Communication classic with a price tag dated 1992. I wonder what else has been gathering dust there for just as long. The Record Exchange is located a walking distance from Egg Records and also stocks comics, books, CDs and other junk.

Record Exchange, 1st Floor, 65 Adelaide St, Brisbane. Tel (07) 3229 4923

With respect to top notch establishments Big City, A1, Academy Annex, Good Records and Gimme Gimme, on a recent visit to NYC I found myself completely dissatisfied by the city’s saturated digging culture and felt the uncontrollable urge to explore new territory. Having lately developed a fascination with French sleazy funk, Afro, prog and boogie as well as Canadian-bred disco, Montreal seemed an exciting target and only an eleven-hour scenic train ride away. Thanks to comprehensive listings from native  CFCF and Toronto’s Gary Abugan I had the key to a digger’s paradise. I picked some incredible finds while rummaging through Montreal’s wide offering of used record stores and have documented the experience in this region-by-region, store-by-store guide. A highly recommended visit.

PLATEAU

Le Pick-Up, 169 ave. des Pins. One of the most organised and easy to navigate stores in Montreal. They’re obviously big into French music as this was in abundance across many genres. There’s a massive orderly corner of 45s and even a section devoted to “Quebec folk, acid, prog, funk, disco and underground”.

$10 was an expensive tag here so expect generous prices. The owner is a beacon of positive energy and was kind enough to stick around an hour after close so I could browse for longer. No listening station was the only downer but the owner was encouraging of playing through the store’s system. Score: Venus 4 – Cosmos 7”, Beauregard, Violletti & Ste-Claire – En Plein Orgasme LP.

Sonik, 4050 Berri. Cute little corner store that appeared to specialise in garage, punk and new vinyl. Still a reasonable portion of used records.

Beatnick, 3770 St-Denis. Seemed like an OK spot but found it a little hard to get on a roll here (CDs were distracting my peripherals). There was at least a wide rack of soul and they had an expansive selection of French music.

Primitive, 3828 St-Denis. This place was a real trip and understandably well appreciated by local heads and out of towners.

Well organised in that it’s densely broken down into sub genres (Quebec, old school house, Euro disco/Italo, Afrobeat etc) but tightly crammed in shelves and crates that are often hard to browse. You really have to walk around first and map out the store with obscured sections underneath and in all dark corners. For instance the library section was discreet in baskets hanging below the belt from a shelving unit at the back.

Boxes and boxes of categorised 7”s but too much good stuff going on in LP/12” land for me to dive in head first. Massive dollar bins in the doorway including a nice crate of $3 Brazilian records. Could easily spend a day here. Score: Garcons – Diverse LP, Patchwork Party LP, Plastic Bertrand – Tout Petit La Planète 12”.

Paul’s Boutique, 112 Mont-Royal Est. A madhouse hectically packed to the rafters with a moist floor ( ? ). Probably filled with good records but the situation is enough to instantly do your head in. The lunatic owner was talking of grand plans to put a staircase in, open a second level and sort everything so could be worth dropping by in the near future.

Marche du Disque, 793 ave. du Mont-Royal. Second hand bookstore with a mass of unsorted and vaguely categorised cheap discs in the basement. A bit of chore but great for staples (disco, house, techno) at giveaway prices with the opportunity for rarities with patience. Pack gloves and leave your tote at the front before the owner escorts you back to the front door. BYO needle! Score: Ministry – I Wanted To Tell Her 12”, Yves Simon – Au Pays Des Merveilles De Juliet LP (signed by the man himself), Skyy – First Time Around 12”.

Aux 33 Tours, 1379 ave. du Mont-Royal. A relatively new store with used records mixed between new records/reissues. Very fancy and probably a good spot for locals to have in town, but no time for me.

Freeson Rock, 1477 Mont-Royal Est. Was lucky enough to stumble across this treat that was quietly sitting round the corner from where I was staying.

This wasn’t on either lists but from what the owner explained it’s been a specialty prog CD store for 20 years and he’s only recently opened up the floor for vinyl. He mentioned a warehouse of records which I’d imagine he’d gradually empty and replenish the shop with.

More records than the shelves can handle, exploding all over the ground with loads of unsorted boxes under the cabinet. A quality selection of LPs that were fairly priced and not dictated by the internet market. Recommended! Score: Rainer Bloss – Drive Inn 2 LP, John Ozila – Africa Goes Disco LP.

MILE END

Backroom Records, 5912 Saint Urbain. I’m sadly not documenting this outlet from experience as the limited internet evidence suggests it’s only open on Saturdays from midday-6pm. It’s in a really residential area and the entrance is supposedly in the back alley, in a shed on the second floor. The owner is a bit of a local legend who found a lost Velvet Underground acetate at a Chelsea garage sale in 2002 and hocked the ultimate rarity on the bay for $25k. Apparently his wife bakes and sells pastries too!

LITTLE ITALY

Death of Vinyl, 6307 St-Laurent. Operated by two super friendly dudes who were a 12” distributor in the 90s and 00s called Nice Music. A huge store that’s half divided into genres across the board, with huge dollar bins sitting on the other half and walls packed floor to ceiling with their spines facing out.

Pretty overwhelming but a comfortable environment that is nicely spaced out with heaps of room to roam, heightened by the tranquil aroma of burning incense and 5 well equipped listening stations. If you’ve got loads of time then this is a great spot for digging! Very cheap. Again an overflowing corner of 25 cent 45s which I didn’t get a chance to hit.

A lot of stock doesn’t go out on the floor and is listed at their discogs store. They offer discounts on these titles if purchased through the store. They also have an expansive well picked selection of cassettes in case you’re in need of a new car tape. I was surprised to see an excess of second hand stores littered around town that stock books, VHS (or NTSC?) cassettes and old CDs. A friend made the same observation in Toronto: Canada – embracing obsolete formats country wide. Score: Hot RS – House of the Rising Sun LP plus many gap fillers.

FURTHER OUT

Marché aux puces Saint-Michel, 3250 boulevard Crémazie Est. Wild indoor flea market! Kind of a draining experience but must be seen to be believed. Stalls packed so high it’s amazing that they expect people to go through it or even find a way how. A lot of Tetris involved here. Records are randomly scattered about in massive and miniature piles, just be prepared to dig through endless amounts of easy listening comps and 50s vocalists to get to something semi-decent. Its open Fri-Sat-Sun 9am-5pm. I went on Friday and a large portion of the stores were shut. Score: Simply Saucer – She’s A Dog 7” and some random 45 of a Bernard Estardy TV theme.

La Note, 4301 Ontario Est. Small store that’s pretty out of the way. Unless you’re already in the area it’s a big commitment for little reward. That said you never know your luck!

Whoa, what a lot of stock!! So much that they had to put some on the roof! Monster Melodies features a wide range of genres and styles, with hidden gems and collectables nestled amongst thousands of records.

Spend a few hours here and you’re sure to uncover many unusual pieces with intriguing covers.  For me the stand-outs were disco and library, but this is a shop for all tastes.

You could really get lost in here (as I did). Just from looking back at the shots I wanna go back! Monster Melodies is a must visit while in the city of love.

Monster Melodies, 9 Rue des Déchargeurs 75001, Châtelet, Paris