New record store, Steak Records, opens in south London this week

A new record store, Steak Records, is set to open in London this weekend. The outlet will welcome customers to its unit for the first time at Holdrons Arcade, Peckham, on Saturday 11th February. 

To mark the event, a launch party is planned from 1PM to 5PM. Set to spin on the day are NTS and Rinse FM-affiliated guests, alongside Footshooter, Poison Zorca, DJ Gilla, shop curator Jon Phonics, of Astral Black, and fellow Scenic Route co-founder Bryce’s Brother. Sets will be broadcast live on nearby Balamii.

Specialising in secondhand vinyl, racks will be filled with classic house, techno, hip hop, jazz, soul, boogie, prog rock and library sounds. New releases will also be sold, with labels like First Word, Eglo, Tiff’s Joints and Group BraCil on offer. 

“With Steak Records I want to contribute towards a record shopping culture that demystifies the ‘grumpy record store’ stereotype and encourages music discovery, while cultivating a creative hub for labels and artists operating in the South London area,” Phonics told RA, confirming that release parties for his labels and others will feature. 

Vinyl is continuing to sell well in the UK. Last year, the format shifted more copies than at any other point in the last three decades, outselling CDs for the first time in 35 years. Notably, the majority of best-selling albums were released that year. Numbers from the US are also healthy, with a 22% increase in purchases during the first half of 2022.