Whether you’re an avid collector of vinyl, or not, there’s always something extremely special about stepping into one of these magical stores. A sense of history in how music has been consumed over the years, the smell and the excitement in the air from fellow ‘diggers’ at what they might find.
It all culminates in the end game of taking the record home or out to play at a club and sharing the music, not just with yourself, but with the world! There’s little doubt that Vinyls comeback in popularity is great for the music industry, it’s artists and fans & long may it continue!
To celebrate the release of his Vinyl EP out on Refuge Recordings, we’ve been lucky enough that JERK BOY agreed to let us into his world, taking us on a tour of his hometown of Sydney & giving us an insight into his record inspirations & secret finds along the way.
Listen to his new EP whilst you read!
1. The Record Store – 255B Crown St, Darlinghurst, NSW
I?ve been buying records from The Record Store when it first opened its doors in 1994 as BPM Records on Oxford Street, now situated just around the corner on 255B Crown St, Darlinghurst. Twenty-five years later in 2019, I still find great things new and old that I will continue to play hopefully for another 25 years and more. Stephan the owner started working at BPM in 1995 and then took over ownership in 2003, and renamed it ?The Record Store?. This store holds a special place in my heart, not only did I find records there that I still play today, but it was where I learned, discovered and experienced what real DJ culture was all about.
Every Wednesday/Thursday when all the shipments would land and you were basically fighting to get to the front of the counter so you could get what limited copies they had available. This was a common situation at every store in the area! Reading Stephan?s bio on the store?s website he noted in the late ?90s at one stage there were 14 individual ?Dance Music? record stores in Darlinghurst! It made me really think about how much time and $$ I spent in Darlinghurst over 2 decades working at Central station records on Oxford Street behind the counter selling records and also as a customer to so many other stores? Hours and hours listening and digging at Central Station (Spending my whole wage), Disco City, Reachin Records, Acetate Records, One stop Deejay, Martins Records, Good Groove and the list goes on every week to find those hidden gems.
2. Something Else Records- 488 King St, Newtown, NSW
A great new store which has been trading for a few years. Generally more skewed towards the more eclectic sounds of Techno, Electronica, Ambient and House music. I find I always get challenged with my taste and what I would usually buy and play. This is one of the reasons I really like this store! Dave and Alex have great taste and the few times I?ve been they?ve pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and it has always ended in a rewarding discovery and purchase.
3. Glebe Record Fair ? Peter Forsyth Auditorium, Francis St, Glebe, Sydney, Australia
The Glebe Record Fair is the pre-eminent Australian Vinyl Music Fair masterminded by Baz & Ric from Egg Records. Held twice a year in Glebe, it?s become an institution for diggers. There?s about 100 stalls and thousands of records from all genres including Punk, Jazz, New wave, Prog, Psyche, Hard Rock, Dance and everything in between. There?s one vendor I basically live at called ?The Vinyl Junkie? he has by far one of the best collections I?ve come across in Australia when it comes to classic House, Techno, Disco, Boogie, Funk, Hip Hop and more, he regularly heads to the U.S and ships back between 10,000 -20,000 records each time and everything is absolute gold!
4. Papa Disquo – 109 Enmore Rd, Newtown
The store only opened last week Thursday 28th Feb. It may be the new kid on the block but Gunjo Discopantz aka DJ Gonz who is running it is a veteran of Sydney DJ and music record culture. Gonz was working at one of my favorite record stores in Erskinville called Revolve which devastatingly closed it?s doors last year, but now he?s jumped into this new venture opening Papa Disquo and I?m sure I?ll be spending way more time than I have getting dusty fingers! You?ll find all things from Funk, Soul, Disco, Reggae, Rock and everything in between.
CHECK THE STORE IN PERSON @109 Enmore Rd, Newtown, Sydney, Australia
5.Listen Up Records – 391 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney
This is a great store and Dorian has a great collection. I would highly recommend checking it out. It?s not open every day, I think it?s more of a by appointment vibe nowadays. Last I remember he was opened on Thursdays each week in the afternoons till about 8-9pm. I used to always drop in when the store was open every day many years ago. I moved into the apartment block next door on Darlinghurst Rd back in 2012 for about 3 years. At that time I had a little hiatus from record shopping and remember only dropping in for a dig once or twice. To be honest it was probably a good thing I took a break because there would have been no way I?d have any $$ left for my rent each week!
IF YOU MISSED IT EARLIER – Listen to the new EP from Jerk Boy – Theme To An Ending EP [Vinyl] – HERE – OUT ON REFUGE RECORDINGS
