Desert Island Records is likely the destination your average music lover floats to when they drift to sleep at night. Its interior has a wide open space that blends white walls with a soothing baby blue accent, featuring artwork from several local artists. Visitors’ eardrums are immediately embraced with the sounds of a top-shelf record player crooning the daily selection of tunes into the sound system. The layout immediately compels you to browse through the impressive selection of sound equipment, CD’s, and of course, mountains and mountains of vinyl. In an era where the collection of vinyl records has transcended the niche hobby it once was, Desert Island is a location that any savvy fan of the tunes needs to check out.
Desert Island is a passion project dreamt up by owner Jorden Wright, a man whose knowledge of music can best be described as simply encyclopedic. Growing disillusioned with his previous career, Desert Island started off as a side project for Wright as he would buy and sell records out of his home. After morphing into a fully fledged business, he moved into his current location on the Sunshine Mile in 2017. His zeal for all things musical overflows into the selection and presentation of his shop, from the classic works of Miles Davis to the dusty, sample-laden hip hop production of Madlib. His incredible spread ranges from the everyday masterpieces to the limited press treasures that collectors would adore, and everything in between.
Don’t let his expansive musical proficiency intimidate you however, Wright loves connecting with local lovers of genres far and wide and chatting the day away. So whether you’re a newcomer looking to start a collection, a seasoned savant looking to fine tune what you have, or even just a little curious to get lost in the art of crate digging, this place is absolutely worth a visit.
Desert Island Records is available for all of your buying/selling/trading needs Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00pm to 7:00pm, and Sunday from 10:00am to 2:00pm.