Off the beaten track - Far away record shops

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

by Tat

Trackhunter helps you dig through the growing amount of new releases as they are released, and the gives the thrill of digging for incredible music. Until recent years, record shops were the primary place for fresh and unearthed music gems, and still remain incredibly important to that discovery process. Despite exaggerated claims about the physical music shop dying they have continued to reappear at a steady rate. Even in my small northern town there are two of them, both stocking old and new vinyl and CDs. So it became even more exciting when Discogs set up a new website that tries to catalogue all of the globe's record shops on one huge interactive map.

At Trackhunter we thought it would be good to explore some of the most remote shops on the globe for those track hunters who really like to go off the beaten track. It is that time of the year when you may start thinking about summer holidays, (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere at least). So why not contemplate a nice diversion to dig through a few crates of exotic in the middle of nowhere. Not all record shops will be on VinylHub, and some of those listed will now be out of business, but there are hundreds included for you to explore. Join us as we explore the best from the north to the south, from the east to the west.

Europe

La Bamba Bazare Store

Rua Manuel da Ponte,
23, 9500-085 Ponta Delgada,
Portugal

You might think that the most far flung European record shops will reside in Iceland or West Russia but you would need to catch a boat or plane to reach two of the most remote European record shops on Planet Earth. Firstly on a small Portuguese island resides La Bamba Bazar Store at Ponta Delgada and has everything from music to turntables, merchandise and clothes. It is a great place to top up that sun tan whilst discovering some new eclectic sounds for your collection. The São Miguel Island sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular tourist destination.

facebook.com/labambabazarstore/

Atlantic Music

H J Rinksvej 7
Postbox 1620
3900 Nuuk
Greenland

A trip north across the Atlantic and you will need to pack a few warm layers to visit this music shop. Atlantic Music stocks CDs and second hand vinyl (with about 1000 records in stock) as well as musical instruments. The store is especially unique in that it stocks native Greenland artists as well as other releases from Scandinavia and the United States.

atlanticmusicshop.gl/en/

North America

Lost and Found

535 2nd Ave,
Fairbanks,
AK 99701
United States

Alaska has a couple of record shops in Anchorage but head a few hundred miles north and you will come to the city of Fairbanks. Lost and Found opened there in 2012 and stocks a varied selection of music alongside art. An enticing shop that stretches right back into the building and is filled with all kinds of memorabilia and music. You can even explore inside the shop in 3D with various augmented areas with added information, meaning you will want to visit them even more.

facebook.com/LostAndFoundJewelry/

my.matterport.com/show/?m=eWVtaYLDCUL

South America

O Alienígena

Rua Lima Bacuri, 63
Centro
Manaus-AM
69005-220
Brazil

From the frozen tundra we head south to deepest darkest Brazil and a record shop located in the Amazon region. Like so many record shops in far flung locations they cannot survive on just selling music so extend out to a collection of other goodies including books. Another shop stocked to the rafters with everything from Kraftwerk to James Brown on vinyl. There appears to be a strong alien, UFO connection with the shop, so we would be surprised if there was no cosmic disco or space rock.

facebook.com/OAlienígena

Pacific

Request Music

10 N Market St
Wailuku,
HI 96793
Hawaii
United States

Heading West we find Request Music and a place again stacked full with records, CDs and DVDs. You will find everything from old rarities to modern classics and no doubt a few gems tucked away in the shelves. So if you want to take a little time from the beach, head inland and explore what appears to be the only record shop on the second largest Hawaiian island.

facebook.com/RequestsHawaii/

Asia

Dund Gol

Baga Toiruu, next to Salm Pub.
Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia

I had come across this shop before searching across the VinylHub map and it really does look an enticing place to go visit. Their Facebook page says has a wide selection of music in stock from Mongolia, Soviet Union and Post communist countries. In addition you will find dancehall, hip hop, electronica, acid and soul. The shop has a really nice vibe about it which is much aided by having a pub right next door.

facebook.com/dundgol/

Africa

Khayavinyl

85 4th Avenue
Durban,
KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa

Located on the east coast of South Africa is another great shop that has a wide variety of genres catered for. One of the many positive Facebook reviews states: “Durban's very own Neverland/ Narnia of art & music . A real hidden gem.” The shop is a cultural hub for the community with regular events taking place throughout the year, a definite stop off for any South African visitors.

facebook.com/khayavinyl/

All of these music digging locations and many more can be discovered on the Vinyl Hub website.

www.vinylhub.com/