Head through the little door underneath that tower block on Pingwu Lu, go down the stairs, bear left, then left again. Ignore beastly looks from the residents. See the red iron door with a paper sign on it? That’s the one. Downstairs again and into the bomb shelter and you’re almost there. Those intrepid enough to find Uptown Records are rewarded with a subterranean warren of rooms stocking 7” and 12” vinyl, plus another couple of rooms of vintagewear. There are also a couple of spaces that look to be set up for drinking and dancing, but right now, the main business is vinyl. There’s a room of punk, pop and rock and another of electronica. Everything’s in good condition and well sorted. The rock LPs are filed by decade, with a separate punk section, while the electronica is a bit more haphazard but grouped so bins contain similar genres and styles. Sub-Culture, the DJ crew behind the Shelter, also has its own little alcove stocking newer DnB, dubstep and a bit of hip-hop. Prices start around RMB40 and go up above RMB100.

DETAILS

What: Uptown Records

Where: 115 Pingwu Lu 平武路115号

Tel: 5404-0970