“AMBUSH® DIGS”: RECORD SHOPS BRIDGING MUSIC AND CULTURE WITHIN TOKYO VOL 3.

“AMBUSH® DIGS” focuses on Record Shop gems that are found throughout Tokyo.
Bridging the world of music and culture (which are intrinsically linked), these special places fill a specific niche for the avid music fan and casual listener alike.

RECORD SHOP BASE [KOENJI]
 

Address: 〒166-0003 4 Chome-23-5 Koenjiminami, Suginami City, Tokyo
RELATED GENRES: Punk, Hardcore, Crust-Punk, all subgenres of Punk.

Tucked in the eclectic streets of Koenji, a battered and weathered sign barely lit, stickered up and in black faded marker: “RECORD SHOP BASE 3F”. A haven for punk lovers in Tokyo, CDs, Records, Merch, and Zines squeezed within a small square space. Look above, and you can see flyers of legendary and underground shows that have passed, and in between racks and cardboard boxes are stickers of record shops, bands, and artists’ groups worldwide.

The building itself seems like a typical and unassuming multi-small company hideout, but the RECORD SHOP BASE cave caters to the hardcore, rock-and-roll, punk, experimental enthusiasts and weirdos country-wide.

Brazilian Punk, Oi! Scandinavian Hardcore, and Doom are just a few of the many different sub-genres that can be found around the shop. The writer of this series particularly loves that they keep tabs on new releases from specific places in the world.
 

We have featured other Koenji record shops before, but this little underground planet within the Koenji music universe is definitely worth a check amidst the many other record stores in the area.  

VIVA STRANGE BOUTIQUE [SETAGAYA]

Address: 〒158-0083 5 Chome-1-4 Okusawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo
RELATED GENRES: Post-Punk, New Wave, Krautrock, Alternative, Experimental.

“STRANGE BOUTIQUE for STRANGE PEOPLE”. A shop off the beaten path in Setagaya, VIVA STRANGE BOUTIQUE (name based off of the album Viva! By German group “La Düsseldorf”), is filled with ephemera and records for the discerning ear. German Krautrock groups like Neu! And Can, and industrial groups like Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten are abundant.

The interior is minimal white, with memorabilia neatly placed and grouped together by the legends they are based on. Devo’s iconic “Energy Dome” hat, a DNA pillow, a Vaselines record slip mat, and many others.

Viva is also known to do their own in-house band/artist t-shirts and approved collaborations between the artists with interesting designs that stay true to the aesthetic of the band and albums. Their portfolio is very impressive, with the likes of The Vaselines, Aztec Camera, Can, Aunt Sally, and more.