I’m away from home working in London at present and the best thing to do with any spare time is obviously go digging for records.

There has been a fair bit of press recently on new shops opening in the city, also a bit of a revival for others, so I was up for seeing what it had to offer. Over the years I haven’t been overly fussed on record shopping in London, it felt like a city well picked over and what it did have to offer was often overpriced. Anyway, that aside my plan was to go to five or six shops in different areas and at least that way I could get to walk around parts of the city I hadn’t been to before, look at the architecture, people watch and shake my head at the number of coffee shops per square inch.

Below is a list of 5 stores worth a visit and what I bought.

Picked this up in Reckless Records, Soho. It’s Weatherall and Co. remixing one of my favourite bands. This being a lesser known remix perhaps.

Next stop was Casbah records in Greenwich, where I found tucked behind the door this copy of Metronomy, doing a sort of library music disco instrumental.

After that it was Vinyl Deptford as recommended by Music and Video Exchange in Greenwich (also worth a visit). I liked this shop, a little bit ramshackle but very friendly and relaxed, with some interesting characters floating about. When I went downstairs to the basement part I felt that I might chance upon something a bit special. That didn’t quite happen but it is worth making the effort to visit. I felt I had to leave with something, so I took some vintage TT with me.

Flashback Records in Shoreditch was up next!  Not a particularly interesting area to take a dander but Flashback is good for a browse. Picked up an old Vex Ruffin thing on Stones Throw.

Finally, Love Vinyl in Hackney, where I bought a few bits and pieces. Like the rest of the shops be prepared to pay for the records (London rents and rates can’t be light). It’s well stocked for new and old and I had good fun with the guys behind the counter, when trying to describe what kind of records I was after.

Me – ‘You know the kind of records made by people getting it a bit wrong, nothing too musical or nice, percussive, naive, like they were just learning, poss a bit poppy. Does that make sense?’

Five tasteful edits we feel every decent collection should own on the black stuff…

Records come,  records go. Want lists expand as your bank balance diminishes.

Always remember they are only records, really fucking good ones! Here are a few I’m currently after…