Digging through piles of records

Music aficionados in Helsinki have no shortage of sources from which to add to their collections.

The region of Viiskulma in Helsinki is well known for its high concentration of record shops. The region offers new and used CDs, LPs and supplementary materials galore.

Digelius Music (Laivurinrinne 2) is one of Viiskulma’s oldest and best-known shops and it sells music from all over the world, without turning its nose up at Finnish classical music either. Its collection comprises mostly rhythmic music, with used and new classics on CDs, vinyl and even shellac records.

Popparienkeli (Fredrikinkatu Street 12) caters to a more popular taste. Its collections comprise mainly pop and rock music from various eras, but also heavy, progressive rock and a mixture of soul, funk and jazz.

Close by, there is Eronen (Laivurinrinne 2), which focuses on hotter rhythms. Eronen offers a palatable selection of reggae, Latin and African music.

A must-have for the music aficionado is, of course, a record player. If you’re in the market for one, it is definitely worth a visit to A.H. Records (Fredrikinkatu Street 12) where you can even find replacement styluses. They also sell shellac records.

Fennica Records (Albertinkatu 36) has established its reputation and specialises in 50s and 60s rock’n’roll. It also has a decent collection of country music. In addition to CDs and LPs, one can find concerts on DVD and a comprehensive selection of boxed sets of CDs for hardcore fans.

Levykauppa Äx (Arkadiankatu 14) has also managed to penetrate the market. This newcomer covers a broad range of music from 50s rock’n’roll up to today: hard punk, metal and heavy, rap, blues, gospel and reggae. They have even dedicated an entire shelf to Japanese music. There is also some experimental music. One of the sections has been dedicated to jazz and there is jazz music constantly playing in the background. Real fans can even purchase their favourite band’s T-shirt or hoodie.

If you’re in the vicinity of Punavuori, it’s definitely worth checking out Lifesaver, Stupido Records and Helsinki 10. Tunnelin levy in Asematunneli (the railway station arcade) is also worth a visit. Other heavyweights along the Hakaniemi-Sörnäinen axis are Hippie Shake Records, Black & White and Goofin’ Records.

Linkit:

Internet services of record shops

Popparienkeli Levykauppa Eronen Fennica Records Levykauppa Äx

Teksti: Riikka Hemmilä
Kuva: Wikipedia

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