London's Rat Records to reopen under new name and management

The site of former London record shop Rat Records is to be taken over as a new record store under different management.

The shop will be run by Dash The Henge, a new label which has been launched with the “aim of introducing groups to the fore that might not get picked up by what we call the Mainstream Indie Industrial Complex,” according to co-founder Zsa Zsa Sapien of the band’s SCUD FM and Meatraffle. The shop will also be called Dash The Henge.

Writing on Facebook, Zsa Zsa Sapien added: “Dash The Henge Store will attract talent both local and from beyond as we will be providing platforms for performance and ‘special nights’ music, spoken word, political talks etc.

“The vinyl stock will be stored in customised racks built by a local carpenter so as to provide a central space for these events as the racks are moved to the sides of the room.

“Previously this space was a shop called Rat Records, a much loved record shop that sadly closed its doors early in the summer of this year and there was a real danger it would be turned into yet another fast food chain or even worse an estate agents. Fortunately, the council saw sense and refused a licence and the fact that it will rise again as another record shop is the stuff of romance and we hope to carry on the idiosyncratic style of the retail outlet that was once called Rat Records.”

No opening date for the Camberwell store has yet been confirmed.

Rat Records closed down in June after being founded in 1999.

In January, a 12-part video series launched to celebrate a number of the UK’s independent record stores.