We Play House Recordings

Any decent lover of house and techno has got to go to Detroit one day. The reasonable approach would be to go during the annual electronic music festival on Memorial Day, but you should really go there when nothing is happening to get the true vibe of this very special city. But this is about record shops and not politics, so let's cut straight to the chase: Detroit is a veritable heaven for second hand shopping! BEWARE: you NEED a car in Detroit...

Melodies & Memories, Gratiot Avenue 23000 something (in Eastpointe): the Dance Zone is closed but opened up on simple request, and a true treasury for all things house and techno. Sealed copies of things that go for too much money on Discogs, multiple copies of Detroit underground classics, white labels, etc, etc. Prices ranging from 4 USD to 10 USD at most for 12" ...

People's Records, Woodward Avenue, 3000 something: an orderly selection of funk, soul & disco, and a decent amount of house, techno & more 12"s. Check the state of the records, because they can be a bit overpriced. But the people running it are cool and will cut you a good deal. True diggin' style is needed here, but well worth the time.

S.I.D. store (Somewhere In Detroit), www.submerge.com You have to make an appointment with this institute of Detroit underground music, but you cannot love techno without having been at the Underground Resistance HQ. Limited stock because they focus on their own products, but almost all of their releases are well worth having, and most are plain and simple essential. Low prices and be sure to get one of the UR t-shirts too. Bridgette who is running the store is the nicest of ladies and it just feels good supporting people that are - for lack of a better word - real.

Detroit Threads, Joseph Campau 10000 something in Hamtramck (a Polish neighbourhood to the east of Highland Park): another paradise for house and techno lovers. Too many good records for your bank account... Sealed copies of classic Detroit labels, racks upon racks of used vinyl, at very good prices, and a serious collection of Detroit t-shirts. Mike is the nicest of shopkeepers and a true legend among Detroit vinyl heads.

We didn't get to do Hello Records (on Bagley & Trumbull) and The Record Graveyard (on Caniff and Joseph Campau in Hamtramck), but apparently these would not look bad in the list we did do. 

Detroit, vinyl and WPH: one love!

RD