Guest blog from @StefanieBoulila
This week, Leeds’ dance music fans came to support the launch of The Garage and Waxwerks, a unique combination of club, boutique record shop and art exhibition space. Having spent many years dancing in converted factories, deserted villas and air-raid shelters in Switzerland, I was more than excited about the unusual addition to Leeds’ underground electronic music scene. Yes, it’s a garage – bang in the heart of Leeds’ financial quarter – and yes, it’s full of personality…
The record shop Waxwerks is curated by Leeds based DJs Tristan da Cunha and Frenchy. Focusing on hand picked house and disco, they include a mixture of local labels and classics. As Back to Basics residents, both Frenchy and Tristan value quality over quantity when selecting the vinyl for their shop. I was particularly fascinated with the music-inspired work of illustrator and visual artist Victoria Topping that is featured on the walls of the shop.
Her beautiful artwork, combined with the roughness of the converted garage, gives the space an industrial yet sophisticated feel. In this, it pays reference to the minimalesque darkness of Berlin’s underground music scene. It was no surprise that one of the first DJs to champion The Garage was Berghain’s DJ Steffi, who impressed with her hard minimal, tech-house set. The personality of the space is in the attention to detail – imagine converting a red Chevy truck into a DJ booth!
Owner Stephen Hawkins, Frenchy and Tristan have great expectations for the combo. In the midst of a recession they have opened a record shop, convinced that a physical space is vital for community building and networking. Leeds used to have many dance genre specialist record shops that have disappeared with the shift to anonymous online downloads. In this, the opening of The Garage and Waxwerks is a strong subcultural statement in a recession and in a city where chain-crazed consumerism tops personality.
Stefanie B is half of DJ/Producer duo Spank Protest www.spankprotest.com or twitter @StefanieBoulila