So the (digital) highways and byways sometimes lead us to something fantastic in the physical world, as they did for me the other day when I noticed a link to the Electric Knife shop on John Eden's Uncarved blog. Click. There's William Burroughs! Any place that chooses him as their icon must be good. It's on Fortress Road? How can such a shop exist in my area without me knowing? The shame! I get on my bike...
...as befits a shop selling avant-garde/noise/electronic music, it has no front on the street, just a door to a corridor leading to a back room. But instead of the musty, soiled hovel one might expect (and that wouldn't bother me) it's a clean, white, skylit room, giving the welcoming impression that you've been invited into someone's pad; someone with very good taste. Furthermore, the owner, Thanasis (a thoroughly decent chap too) even keeps some of his own book collection there, thus enhancing the feeling that you're in a mate's room...
...I flicked through the CDs after we'd had a chat...
...then the vinyl...
...I confess to not recognising the majority of what's on offer, but that's part of what makes this shop such a thrilling find for me...so much to discover. A lot of the albums were limited editions, many with lovingly-crafted sleeves. I had to resist buying some just for the artwork and packaging. Then there's the printed matter...
...I can't emphasise enough the importance of small shops like Electric Knife. As we discussed regarding places for people to play music (the shop has 'live' music events), London's decline into a haven for corporate bullshit and social cleansing has robbed it of small cheap venues. Just as art spaces and independent book shops are rarities, so too are shops like this. I doubt that there's another in London that specialises solely in this kind of music. The online store is here and if you're in town do visit the shop.
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