Record Stores in Helsinki, Finland

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by Rosskolnikov, Jan 24, 2022.

  1. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Obviously quite contingent on the COVID situation, but there is a chance that work issues will take me to Helsinki in late April. When visiting large cities, I often very much enjoy checking out the record stores. (In this case, the Sibelius monument would be a must, too - a lifetime transformative experience was playing his 2nd Symphony in 1987). In case of Helsinki, I see a LOT of record stores on Google Maps but no real discussion of that scene here.

    Just in case someone is in the know, I figured I would ask for recommendations.
     
  2. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    A bump just in case there are European nighttime readers online now.
     
  3. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Bump for the European crowd? Someone here has to have been to Finland. I'm thinking this practice of moving the questions about record stores out of "Music" or "Off Topic" and putting here is really just hiding it to the point where answers don't come. I know that prior to seeing my post get moved here, I didn't even know this portion of the forum existed.
     
  4. @YardByrd

    (apologies if this does not apply)
     
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  5. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    I live in Helsinki and this is where most of my money goes in descending order: Black & White Records (good for used LPs and reasonably priced), Rolling Records (also mostly used LPs but the owner definitely stays hipped to discogs since the prices reflect this; still, I spend quite a bit of cash here), Record Shop X (in Finnish: levykauppa äx), Music Hunter (overpriced used vinyl that I find graded improperly but good for used CDs), Goofin' Records (specializes in rockabilly, '50s but has other stuff), Levykauppa Keltainen Jäänsärkijä (translates to Yellow Icebreaker), Hippie Shake, Digelius Music (lots of world music),...
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2022
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  6. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    @Odradek might chime in as well about some of his favorite record stores in Helsinki...
     
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  7. Odradek

    Odradek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Helsinki, Finland
    Those you listed are all worth a visit in my view. As I have a constant backlog of purchased but as yet unheard records, even before the plague hit I hadn't been to any shops regularly for years, with the sole exception of Goofin' Records (which has since relocated but probably hasn't changed much).

    I only feel like adding (for jazz, Latin, ska, generally music from warmer climates, and also classical) Eronen just around the corner from Digelius Music; and also round the corner but in the opposite direction, A. H. Records, which probably has one of the best selections of pricey collectibles in town (but also a lot more besides).

    (Keltainen Jäänsärkijä does translate to 'Yellow Icebreaker', but it was the title of the first Finnish version of "Yellow Submarine" back in 1966.)
     
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  8. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Finally made it after braving the horror that is the collapse of western civilization in the 3.5 hour security line at Amsterdam Schiphol. Got into the much more normal Helsinki and ran into this guy, who tried to take all my money, but fortunately I am faster than he.
    [​IMG]
    So can still get some records tomorrow. Have high hopes to find some unusual Pekka Pohjola ones. Kind of sad to miss the Michael Monroe 60th birthday show by only about 4 days. That isn't necessarily my main genre of music, but it seems like it would have been fun.
     
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  9. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    I'll be out and about record shopping tomorrow as well (already hit Record Shop X today; be hitting Rolling Records and Black & White tomorrow)... looking for my current Finnish grail - The Rock n Roll Band's classic Everybody Needs Dance Music Sometimes with David Lindholm and the legendary Affe Forsman on drums...
     
  10. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Definitely hitting both of those tomorrow (among others). Will probably look north of the train station in that 10-12 range and the south of train station spots in the later afternoon. I did not even realize that there is a performance of Pekka Pohjola's Sinfonia tomorrow night at the Musiikkalto tomorrow night. I really love Pekka's music so . . . I'm going! What a great surprise.

    And what a gorgeous walk tonight. Sibelius' 2nd Symphony carries great personal meaning to me so this was inspiring.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I'll have a white "USA Water Polo" hat tomorrow so feel free to say hello if we run into each other.
     
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  11. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Found some good things. Was a really tiring day, though, as I'm not currently so accustomed to walking that much on concrete. Pekka Pohjola (several of his) at Black & White, Pekka's "Sinfonia" and Ryuichi Sakamoto/David Sylvain "Heartbeat" on vinyl at Rolling Records, Made In Sweden on CD at A.H., Kazumi Watanabe and Timo Lassy/Ed Motta at Digelius (and a. t-shirt), and Ian Carr's Nucleus at Yellow Submarine. A good day. And had conversations with the proprietors at a few of the places, which is always a nice way to spend the day. Off to see/hear Pekka's symphonic work now.
     
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  12. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    sounds like you covered some ground if it was all on foot and no trams or metro involved! have a good time this evening!
     
  13. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Was really wonderful. And close!

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    how many more days in Helsinki?

    make sure to eat at Sea Horse for some traditional Finnish cuisine... Welcome - Restaurant Sea Horse

    and Bar Loose for the rock n roll heart of Helsinki...
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2022
  15. Rosskolnikov

    Rosskolnikov Designated Cloud Yeller Thread Starter

    Unfortunately, it has to be really short - out tomorrow morning. Am leading a week-long engineering training/conference in Amsterdam starting Monday morning, which is the real reason I got over to this neck of the woods. But it did not not disappoint. If I get over again in the next year or so, however, I'll reach out. Thank you.

    Funny thing is: I saw the big white-haired dog from Black & White Records at the lobby of the symphony concert (and well-behaved). So I am pretty sure they came. When I mentioned it this morning, they did not seem to know so I might have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Collapsed Lung

    Collapsed Lung Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I know this thread is long dormant, but I just wanted to thank @YardByrd for his insights on Helsinki record stores. I was there last week, and had a great time. I did eat at Sea Horse, but the best meal I had was at Skord, a small restaurant that only serves food and beverage that is sourced from Finland -- except salt. Apparently no one in Finland makes salt!

    These were my record store experiences:

    Digelus: This store has moved from the southern "five points" location near Eronen and A.H. Records to a location way up north, not far from Rolling Records. Wonderful shop, mostly for the new releases on their WeJazz label...but a great source for jazz, world, and avant garde stuff.

    Rolling Records: Solid little shop. Had good used stuff, but close to the high end of the price spectrum. Still, found a used copy of a good older Finnish jazz LP I didn't see elsewhere, along with a new Finnish indiepop title that I had on my list.

    A.H. Records: Weird little store -- two old dudes and piles and piles of records in a very small space. But I found a pretty scarce Finnish jazz LP and a weird American audiophile speaker evaluation record that I'd never seen before, at pretty solid prices.

    Music Hunter: Oy vey. Perplexing. Just winding corridors, one room after another, full of records, but nothing particularly interesting -- mostly kinda classic rock and metal, which isn't my thing. Not particularly well organized...it was hard to find what I wanted to look at. Good CD selection, and not bad prices on used CDs.

    Eronen Records: Mostly jazz and world music (lots of reggae!), and some nice stuff. I bought four used European jazz titles on ECM, Ogun, MPS, and one other that I can't recall. Friendly shopkeep. Not huge, but fun to dig.

    Hippie Shake: Fruitless for me...I was expecting more sixties kinda stuff, but it seemed mostly like classic rock 70s titles. Seems like a good place to pop into from time to time, though, as I bet cool stuff might fly under their radar.

    Black and White Records: While it may not have the coolest vibe, this is probably the best overall shop. Great mix of new and used. I got some new Finnish reissues, along with some real rarities from their used bins. Actually went here twice...staff were great, everything is well-organized, and painfully alphabetized, which I really appreciated. Spent the most money here...

    I also took the ferry down to "South Helsinki" (aka Tallinn, Estonia). The old town section had two great shops: Vinyl Records (fantastic selection of new Estonian music, with helpful annotation from the very friendly shopkeeper) and Old Town Records (funky basement shop that also had some cool Estonian reissues I didn't see anywhere else).

    While record-hunting wasn't the focus of my trip, it was a very fruitful sideline!
     
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