The growing independent music scene in Singapore has meant that a number of great record stores have popped up in recent years, and passionate crate diggers are spoilt for choice by the venues they can find hidden treasures in. Since 2012, the number of record shops in the city has increased by a third, from 10 to 30, so it’s easy to find vinyl to match your own unique taste. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and search for your new favourite tune at one of Singapore’s most iconic record shops.
Red Point Record Warehouse
Filling more than 2,000 square foot of floor space, this iconic record shop is one of the best in the city. Located in the off the beaten track Toa Payoh neighbourhood, this store is home to more than 10,000 different vinyl, most of them vintage. Attracting dedicated music nerds from all over the city - and abroad - you’ll find it easy to spend hours digging through the eclectic crates at this out of the way venue. From Singaporean old timer hits to modern local indie music, you’ll be able to find a unique slice of music at this well-loved store.
Choice Cuts Goods and Coffee
Coffee and music lovers should take a trip to this unique venue while on a visit to the Lion City. In hip and historic area Katong, the store is located in co-working space MOX, after previously being housed in Serangoon. The shop is curated by DJ collectives Matteblacc and Blaccsmith, whose love for hip hop, funk and soul is well-reflected in the vinyl on offer. If you’re a fan of 80’s and 90’s hip hop in particular, make a beeline to Choice Cuts Goods. You’ll be able to browse with the scent of coffee wafting through the venue, which is also highly recommended, and there’s a small seated area if you’d like to enjoy it while listening to brand new tunes.
The Analog Vault
Those wandering around the historic City Hall area should make a pitstop at the Analog Vault, where not only vinyl is celebrated, but also all things analog - a huge array of independent fiction is on sale, much of it from local authors. You can also find music merchandise and technology, like turntables from a wide variety of brands. This Esplanade-based store stocks records from local and international artists, and both vintage and contemporary offerings. Genres from classical to electronica are all on sale here, so whatever your jam you’ll be sure to find a treasure to bring home.
Roxy Records & Trading
The type of record store that attracts true music geeks, Roxy Records & Trading is an old-timers vinyl shop hidden away in the slightly rundown Excelsior Shopping Mall in the City Hall neighbourhood. This joint has been open since the 70s, when brothers Paul and Richard Lim decided to create a dedicated space for their musical passions. This is one of the best places in the city to discover rare finds and to order in vinyl you can’t find anywhere else - new shipments from abroad, especially the US and Europe, arrive weekly. Aswell as records, you’ll find a wide variety of CDs and even cassettes lining the jumble of musical treasures along every wall.
White Label Records
Hip vinyl fans will love White Label Records, a stylish record shop located on the historic and pretty Ann Siang Hill Road. In fact, this venue can be better described as a vinyl store meets bar, as the place is open late (until 12am on weekdays and 1am on Friday and Saturdays) and drinks are sold for punters to enjoy while digging through their stock for the latest tune. Make sure you try their signature cocktail, a White Label Iced Tea, a version of the classic Long Island, but blending spirits with Goji berry syrup and Pu’er iced tea. Run by two DJs and a professional musician, you can expect live music held regularly in store - it’s so much more than a record store and could well become your regular.