Phonica Records

Phonica Records opened at 51 Poland Street in 2003, founded by Simon Rigg, Tom Relleen and Heidi Van Den Amstel with backing from The Vinyl Factory, at a point when several long-standing London record shops were closing. The shop set out to be a dedicated stockist for dance and electronic music, and the shelves still run through house, techno, disco, Afro and Latin edits, and cosmic and Italo disco pressings, mostly on vinyl. Listening stations let customers cue up records before buying, and staff drawn from London's DJ and club scene handle recommendations. In 2007 the shop launched its own record label, extending the business beyond retail into releasing records by other artists. More than two decades after opening, and after the closure of many independent record shops nationally, Phonica continues to trade from its original Soho address, seven days a week.