UPTOWN RECORD STORE

A Musical Bridge from Shanghai to Tokyo’s Underground
[published February 2021]

A new addition to Koenji in 2020, Uptown Records was birthed in the bowels of the Shanghai underground record scene to provide a space for collectors to meet and promote independent music, host music shows, and hold China’s largest record swap market. Sacco, one of the owners, moved to Shanghai from San Fransisco a while back and has some interesting connections to the music scenes in both cities.

The concept of the Koenji shop is simple: records, zines, and beer, but the depth of the collection is profound. The focus of the Koenji shop includes a connection to Dark Entries, a record label that aimes to resuscitate 80’s underground music, a deep collection of Chinese underground, as well as experimental, synth, avant-garde, and post-punk music, as well as zines and screen prints. There is always some curated content being played but you can also request many of the records or listen on your own with the provided turntable and headphones. There are also DJ events, listening events of new releases, and art and zine release parties. But it’s good to just pop in for a drink, chat and a listen, especially if you are already checking out what Koshin Dori Street in Koenji has to offer. Drinks include Japanese and imported beers, highball cocktails and possibly some Chinese spirits. You are bound to find some unique additions to your collection.

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