Randomness: From the Other Side of the Pond

Isle of Skye Phone Booth. Photo Credit: Ocean Eiler

So I've been busy catch up since my trip out East to the mother land of Scotland. Two weeks being unplugged from technology, jet lagged and dealing with the lack of darkness due to summer solstice made for a grand vacation.

Your friendly neighborhood Technics dealer. Photo Credit: Addison H.

Shortly after arriving in Glasgow we fetched a train up to Inverness. Inverness although lacking a good electronic dance music store had plenty of pubs, clubs, and novelty stores to keep our jet lagged brains amused. The following day Scotland foolishly let me hire a car to drive about in, (LOL stupid people). 

Glenco. Photo Credit: Ocean Eiler

 So it wan not "tramping" around like all the books I was reading, but our travels around the Highlands would have looked like a Family Circus map. Driving down along the length of Loch Ness, around the Isle of Skye a few times, hoped a ferry on our way to Fort William. Load of hiking and sight seeing but no real record hunting. (Whomp Whomp).

Returning the car we hitched a train to Edinburgh, my home away from home.  It felt great to stretch my legs on the streets that i grew up in. Visiting old hunts, and checking out new ones. As coincidence would have it, my parents were in town that week which I have to say is the most amount of time I've spent with them in nearly 10 years. It was great!

Now 10 odd years ago, I walked into Underground Solu'shn at the bottom of Cockburn Street and fell in love with this intimate record store. The staff was helpful, engaging and did there best to impart some wisdom of what was moving crowd in the Scotland. 10 years later I found the staff to be just as engaging. Although George Macdonald was on vacation, Andy...(I hope that was your name) was super nice, and did his best dealing with a DnB head. Smiling. What was more striking to me was I handed him a demo and he straight away put it on blasting it over the store speakers. That gave me a bit of a thrill to hear my mix being play. Hat Tip.

Underground Solu'shn, Edinburgh Scotland. Photo Credit: Ocean Eiler

Car less we were now getting around Scotland by train. Holy hell is that the way to travel! During another adventure to ventured to Sterling and ran across Europa Music. From my first impression I thought it was going to be a bust till I noticed the sign that said vinyl in the back...

Europa Music Sterling Scotland. Photo Credit: Ocean Eiler

 HOT DIGITY DING DONG! Its the mother load I thought. Although not as impressive as the golden plaster of the Sterling castle this comes in at a close second. If your looking for Shut Up and Dance records, early Techno, loads of Acid House and a smattering of Jungle records. Get off this computer and do directly.

Europa Music's Back room Sterling Scotland. Photo Credit: Ocean Eiler

On the topic of mother loads I should note that Avalanche Records in Edinburgh's Grass Market has a stock pile of dance records that is mind boggling. If the story true they bough most of their dance records from an unnamed BBC DJ that had been stock piling promo records over the last 30 years. I was able to find some unplayed ragga jungle tunes from the 1994-7. Mind you I also had to clean the mold off these records... but thats a small price to pay.


Note from the Librarian:
If your looking to make a record buying holiday for DnB / Jungle records do not go to Scotland. It stand to reason that an country that hates its neighbor, is working on separating itself from "Great Britain" would of coarse not pay any attention to the London sound that is Drum & Bass...oh well. With that said I love Scotland, the people, the country side, their beer, and Veggie Haggis. The adventure was totally epic and I'm glad to have been able to share it with my partner in crime Addison, who did not roll her eyes to much every time I dipped into another moldy record shop. Cheers.