Advertisement
Advertisement
Music stores: our guide to the last of a dying breed
While most of us now download our favourite tunes, there's still something magic about browsing the racks of a record store. Here are our five favourite places to buy music and related products in the city
Next time you catch a film at Broadway Cinematheque, also check out Kubrick next door for its eclectic range of CDs and vinyl. Although its well-curated collection leans towards indie music, Kubrick also stocks a wide selection of releases by Taiwanese and mainland bands. Don't miss its great array of T-shirts and posters.
3 Public Square Street, Prosperous Garden, Yau Ma Tei, tel: 2384 8929; kubrick.com.hk
Paul Au is something of a legendary figure among local record collectors. Piled throughout his chaotic store in Sham Shui Po are 35,000 records from every genre imaginable - and don't come expecting them to be neatly categorised for easy browsing. Instead, leave a whole day aside for what vinyl fanatics refer to as "digging". If you don't find what you want, it's probably buried in Au's off-site warehouse where another 300,000 albums await your digging pleasure. Vinyl Hero is open by appointment only.
Flat D, 5/F Wai Hong Building, 239 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po, tel: 9481 7136
Since HMV started specialising in headphones and other hardware, Hong Kong Records has raised its game by expanding its selection of music on CD - and even vinyl. Alongside releases by all the big Canto-pop names you'd expect to find in this Hong Kong institution is a huge range of albums by the leadings lights of the independent and alternative music worlds. Its impressive selection of vinyl records also caters for audiophiles.
Shop 146, level one, Pacific Place, Queensway, tel: 2845 7088; hongkongrecords.hk
White Noise is the big brother of all alternative Hong Kong music stores, and has been selling its discerning customers everything from avant garde heavy metal to obscure New York electro-pop for a decade. Knowledgeable owner Gary Leong is always on hand to recommend music you have most likely never heard of, and he has a great selection of music magazines and books. White Noise regularly stages concerts featuring alternative bands from overseas, and also acts as a ticket outlet for indie gigs happening around town.
1/F, 720 Shanghai Street, Prince Edward, tel: 2591 0499; whitenoiserecords.org
Located in Mong Kok shopping centre Chic Castle is Zoo Records, a little store with a big reputation. Zoo specialises in indie music from Europe, but alongside its more obscure offerings you'll find releases - and both CD and vinyl - by more popular modern outfits such as Radiohead and Sigur Rós, and even classic acts like Joy Division. In 2001, Zoo won acclaim for their "Hidden Live 2011" campaign - the world's first live mobile music festival that brought live shows and interactivity to mobile devices.
Level 3, Chic Castle, 608 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, tel: 2309 2911; zoo-records.com
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Total rewind
Post