Play De Record hardly needs any introduction. Even if you’re not into the Toronto club scene, it’s the kind of place that sounds familiar. That’s because since it opened on Yonge Street in 1990, it’s become something of an icon in the Toronto music scene. Drake has bought gear here and comedian Russell Peters used to frequent the store in its early days. Other luminaries who’ve dropped in include Jude Law, Wesley Snipes and underground music stars Deadmaus and DJ Neil Armstrong. “Our break came back in the 90s when dance music guru, Chris Shepherd, plugged us on his radio show,” recalls co-owner Eugene Tam. “DJs from all the clubs started to come to us. They used to need new records every week and that was our stock and trade.”
Vinyl is still a major part of the business, especially since it has experienced a resurgence in mainstream popularity, but Play De Record has also branched out into studio equipment sales and an exciting range of production and DJing classes.
