a bit of Serge.

There are several reasons to this post ; I really like Gainsbourg's works being the first one. But, even though I can be labelled as "fan", I have a selective ear : a lot of Serge's music sounds irrelevant to me. That's why I don't feel like buying his whole discography. Anyway, he was a genius (part of being a genius is to be misunderstood, so my bad for misunderstanding a bit of his production), and still enjoys an incredible aura in France and abroad also.

Another reason is to link you up to this in-depth article I found on the internet : "Gainsbourg, génie du sample ?". This article, supported by useful audio clips, will educate you on Gainsbourg's inspiration, for some, or Gainsbourg's biting for others. As a matter of fact, Gainsbourg got a strong background in classical music, and there is no wonder that he got inspired by those melodies and symphonies that were floating around his childhood house. He ended up adapting classical melodies into his own (pre-)pop music... could you call that biting ? I'm not sure. But I'm open-minded, as sampling still is compatible with innovation to me. There was an addendum to the aforementionned article, for the sole "Gainsbourg Percussions" EP. 

The final reason, for now, is to explain the title of this blog. For those who don't know, "le soleil est rare" are the first words on "Valse de Melody", a track from the classic concept album "Histoire de Melody Nelson".

So, for your sins, you'll get the special treatment, two videos of the song, the first one being the official video, put in motion by Jean-Christophe Averty in 1971, featuring Serge's muse Jane Birkin, and the second one being a "live" playback on a TV set by a magnetic Serge. 

"Tribute" : another version.

Believe it, "Tribute" by beatsmiths Onra and Quetzal is already reedited, but as a 2xLP this time. That's a minimum for 35 tracks. The Jay Dee tribute is now edited by German label Project:Mooncircle. 

Initially released in 2007 on CD, and as several 45rpm EP's as well (but not the whole 35 beats of the CD version), "Tribute" acted as an efficient business card for both beatmakers, even if Onra capitalized on it more than Quetzal (aka Al Quetz) did.

Indeed, Onra followed by unleashing the world acclaimed "Chinoiseries" (ending by placing "The Anthem" in a Coca-Cola commercial for the Beijing Olympics), then "1.0.8" as well as various collaborations with labels like All City. Onra even got into the Red Bull Music Academy program, for the Barcelona session. 

After gaining fame thanks to his extensive tours in the world's most unexpected clubs, alongside keyboardist  and collaborator Buddy Sativa, Onra left the simple spectrum of beatmaking by producing "Long Distance", an ode to the funk/disco/early hip hop era. 

Quetzal, on his side, took it back to his roots, connecting with Latin America and West Indies on his album "Vizions" and with Africa on the vinyl only "Drums Come From Africa". Both projects proved Quetz an authentic digger and beatmaker, interested in the search for the perfect vibe.

Both guys paved the way for the French beat scene, by proving it possible to release physical records (and especially vinyls) to fellow beatmakers Hazel, La Fine Equipe (credited for the scratches and mixing on "Tribute"), Guts, ASP and more. 

Stay tuned for "Chinoiseries 2" (November 15th on All City - even on cassette !) by Onra, who became artistic director to the Catblock imprint, Hazel's "Playground" being the first release. What happened to the pseudo-label Bo Bun Records ? 

diggin guide - Sevilla (Spain).

When in Sevilla, record diggin is not the priority. The city is so beautiful that there are a lot of things to see, to visit. But, once you've seen everything worth a visit or a sight, you're good to go. 

To be honest, I didn't see a lot of interesting diggin spots, only two actually. 

Discos Latimore : probably the finest you'll find in Sevilla. It's a real record store, meaning that a lot of genres are represented here, from national tango, to soul, bossa nova, jazz, rock etc. You'll find various stuff in this store, such as cool t-shirts (most of the people entering the shop purchase these t-shirts), gadgets, bags...

My goal was to find records by Los Brincos, a Spanish band from the 1960's that's known as the Spanish Beatles. I failed. Those records are among the rarest in Spain, but of course, I wasn't aware of that. Silly me. However, I found some nice instrumental Spanish rock ; you gotta understand that keeping it instrumental was a way to get your stuff released and broadcasted under Franco's dictatorship. 

The guy behind the counter is nice, and is willing to talk and advise about records. Maybe he's just happy to talk about music instead of having people try on his t-shirts... Oh, and prices are ok. Not cheap, not too expensive. I don't recall seeing a "1 euro" crate. 

Record Sevilla : if you're after rock in its various forms (especially the modern gothic, hard, metal versions), Record Sevilla is you're spot. 

On the shelves, there are the valued records, and under the shelves, in the crates, it's full of discounted records, some of them being in bad condition. Too bad... Records are a bit pricy, and I couldn't see any reason to that. It's not a bad place, but they should make it a better diggin spot by putting some order in their crates and improving their selection. 

The guys in there will either ignore you or let you live you own life... well, either way, you probably won't get any advice. Or maybe it's just me. Have your own try. 

To finish, there are vinyls in El Corte Ingles and in the local FNAC, reissues of classics and new releases, but they are damn expensive. Once again, no reason but that's the way it is.  

Well, that's it. I may have missed a few spots, but Sevilla doesn't seem to be a digger's paradise anyway. 

from a label founder's perspective.

A few months ago, the label Light In The Attic interviewed Jason "MoSS" Connoy, who is the founder of another label, Strawberry Rain, as he was resurrecting Indonesian band AKA through the "Hard Beat" LP.

It's pretty interesting to see how these labels collaborate, for the pleasure of international diggers. Well, I know compilations and reissues are not really a digger's dream, but when the quest becomes an impossible mission you have to be content with them. It's also representative of the rather new trend in record digging, as the new focus seems to be on Asian records. 

Indeed, this release by Strawberry Rain followed Now-Again's "Those Shocking Shaking Days", and the numerous Cambodian, Thai and Singaporian compilations by labels like Sublime Frequencies, El Supremo and others. 

To get inside the head of a digger that brought back to light music from Iran (by the way, I'd be interested in that "Jokers" LP) and Indonesia, among other funky places, read this. And for more about Indonesian psych and a mix by MoSS, head to the Red Bull Music Academy website.   

soleil rare 9 - boom bap.

A little bit of old school, a little bit of new school. Holla.

Gza/Genius - 0% Finance. 

Gza, one of the Wu-Tang generals, is widely considered as one of the best lyricist to ever touched a mic. As time went by, he kept in the shadow of the charismatic stars of the Wu-Tang, Method Man, Ghostface, ODB and Rza being the most successfull. Through the years, Gza also kept his independance, switching labels many times. He released "Pro Tools" in 2008 on Babygrande Records, when it served as a side label for artists from the Wu-Tang stable. 

"0% Finance" was produced by old timer Jose "Choco" Reynoso. The beat is based on a repetitive guitar riff and drum pattern, allowing the listener to focus on Gza's flow and lyrics. 

9th Wonder & Murs - Are You Ready ? 

As a listener, you gotta love this era, for being able to have this kind of quality music free of charge. Indeed, "Sweet Lord" was made available online as a free album. 

The formula here is pretty simple : 9th Wonder provides the beat, Murs provides the lyrics and presence behind the mic. And it works perfectly. I ignore if that beat was made before or after 9th's transition from software beat-making to hardware production, but it clearly sounds different from what he delivered for Little Brother and others. Making the dynamic work around the kicks and the crashes, 9th Wonder offers a nonetheless noddy beat, on which Murs articulates efficient short verses.

Guilty Simpson - Robbery. 

Off one of the (arguably) best albums of 2008, "Robbery" is the kind of rap song you can play in your car, or in a party to make the crowd go wild, or in whatever occasion that requires a rise of the testosterone rate in the air. It's ruff, it's tough, it's... well, you can picture the hood, the guys pumping iron...
Mr. Porter's (yeah, aka Denaun Porter, from Eminem's super group D12) beat ain't no joke. And what about Guilty's charisma. His deep voice surely helps, but his lyrics are also clearly responsible for raising the rap fans' interest. The chorus, or maybe it's just called a gimmick, here is pretty simple, but you'll end up singing it.

D.I.T.C. - Day One. 

For some reason, D.I.T.C. is worshipped in Japan, so much that there are special editions of their albums or bootleg originating from there. The "All Love" album was released as a Japanese record in 2000, one year after Big L's murder. 

What makes this track a classic is the high level rapping, provided by underground heavyweights A.G., Big L, Diamond D, Lord Finesse and O.C., as well as the 90's-flavored production of Diamond D. The beat is so on point (even if repetitive and predictible) that it's regularly used in freestyles and battles, up to today. 

MC Serch ft. Red Hot Lover Tone, Nasty Nas & Chubb Rock - Back To The Grill. 

Even if MC Serch had previously gained some fame with 3rd Bass, it's hard not to admit the success of this track was also due to the impeccable performances of the featured guests. The video also helped. Being one of the first appearance of Nas on record, the track is now thought to have helped the now Queensbridge superstar creating a buzz in the rap game. 

Well, the album didn't score big numbers and today, everybody forgot about MC Serch but back then, he was one of the main acts, signed on Def Jam. Note that Serch is white, and back then it didn't seem to be much of a problem (compared to the whole controversy around Eminem). Though, he's still active in the hip hop game, especially on radio waves.

Blu & Exile - No Greater Love. 

In 2007, MC Blu and producer Exile partnered and delivered one of the best (if not the best) albums of the last years, called "Below The Heavens". The whole thing is sweet, deep, comforting, a real delight in your ears. 

Containing samples from Oscar Peterson's "There Is No Greater Love" and Smokey Robinson & The Mirales "Theme from Love Story", it's not hard to imagine the lyrical direction Blu took in this song. 

And how do you rate Exile's chopping game ? Sweeeeeet. 

Evidence ft. Elzhi & Aloe Blacc - To Be Determined. 

Taken from "The Layover EP" by Mr. Slow Flow, better known as Evidence, "To Be Determined" features the then underrated Elzhi and Aloe Blacc. It was indeed released in 2008, when Elzhi was still considered Detroit's best kept secret, before he released his tribute to Nas "Elmatic". It was released before Aloe Blacc made himself famous outside the hip hop community with his "Good Things" album, before "I Need A Dollar" and his endless tours. 

The beat is laced by heavyweight Alchemist, Evidence's long time collaborator, and one of the most respected producer in the rap industry. It will instantly make your head nod. 

Black Eyed Peas - Joints & Jam. 

To be honest, I'm fed up with the current BEP storm, so I felt like reminding what was BEP's sound back in the days. So here's "Joints & Jam", from the "Bulworth" soundtrack. As you can notice, no Fergie, no weird outfits, just b-boys giving an honest hip hop performance. That was 1998. That was a long time ago. I can't believe what BEP became...

By the way, If you haven't seen the movie, go watch it. It seems the soundtrack was more successful than the movie (well the record is one of the most consistant soundtracks you'll ever listen to), but just to reward Warren Beatty's efforts, do yourself a favor. 

Black Milk ft. Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price & DJ Premier - The Matrix.

In retrospect, 2008 was a good year for die-hard hip hopers. It proved that a certain spirit of classic boom bap had survived, through many years of dirty south/crunk invasion.
Since he made his way through the struggle of releasing a full lenght album in 2005, Black Milk had appeared as the guy who would resurrect the old spirit of hip hop. With his trademark cocktail of hard live drums and chopped samples, Detroit's son almost succeeded. Almost, because listeners had a hard time rating him the best producer of the mic, a title he has been claiming for.
On "The Matrix", his partnership with fellow Randow Axe member Sean Price, and underground top dog Pharoahe Monch, Black Milk doesn't follow the easy path, by confronting two veteran lyricists. However, with the help of the sample from Tangerine Dream, Milk did a great job on the boards. A banging track.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy (Pete Rock's version).

Ah, one those beats that's overshadowed by a controversy over creative fatherhood. It goes like this : Pete Rock invited Puffy and Biggie to his crib, they heard a Mtume-sampling beat floating in the air, and once back home, they had Trackmasters' Poke remake the beat. That's the way it goes in the biz. But don't worry for the Soul Brother n°1, money probably sorted the whole thing out.
The original you hear in this "Soleil Rare" compilation is from a mixtape released in 2008. Using the same Mtume sample as the "official" Puffy/Poke's version, the main difference lays in the drum pattern. Apart from that, Biggie's part is the same, idem for Total's chorus. And if you don't know, now you know. A classic to cool everything down. 

samplin The Counts.

French website abcdrduson just posted an article about the much sampled Counts, a soul/funk band that's clearly underappreciated. 

Listening to their albums makes you travel into another time frame... it sometimes sounds like those TV series from the 70's-80's that you were watching with your grandma. Once again, the article is in French, with audio clips for educational purpose. 

Cesaria Evora puts an end to her career.

When I saw her name in my mailbox, my first thought was "not again...". I thought I'd lost one of my favorite singers, a few weeks after I'd lost one of my favorite DJ's. 

But no. It's "only" an announcement about Cesaria Evora's retirement. The news is slowly spreading on the web, thanks to French media (AFP, Le Monde, Libération) and to her official website. 

For quite some time now, Cesaria Evora has been singing less than before, touring less than before, performing less than before, doing less appearances than before. Concluding that she was taking some distance from her singing career was no speculation. 

Fortunately, she blessed her with timeless melodies, since she became internationally known in 1991, and even before, when she was singing for tiny audiences in Cape Verde. 

Now, the barefoot diva will enjoy a well-deserved rest in her home island of Mindelo. 

from a journalist's perspective.

My friend Adrien happens to have written an authoritative press article about Cambodian golden voices of the 1960's. The guy is practically a specialist of the area, having worked as a journalist in Laos and Cambodia. The article was written when he was a journalist in Cambodia and was published in Cambodge Soir, as well as in Courrier International and French most famous newspaper Le Monde. 

He kindly accepted to draw a selection of Cambodian hits, taken from the pre-Khmers Rouges era, as once again, music got extinguished by a political regime. 

Here's Adrien's selection. No downloadable music file for the moment, as I'm still trying to get my hand on some of them right now, but mostly YouTube links instead. Enjoy nonetheless.  

1 - Chnam Oun Dam Pram Mouy, by Ros Sereysothea

2 - Cham Dop Khae Teat, by Ros Sereysothea

3 - Kekomike, by Chum Kem et son orchestre oriental

4 - Twist Twist Knyom, by Chum Kem

5 - Kampot Kompual Duang Jet, by Sin Sisamouth

6 - Kompong Cham Kompong Jet, by Sin Sisamouth

7 - Av Yoan Ké Mer, by Sin Sisamouth (a Republican propaganda song, in which prince Sihanouk is accused of selling out the territory to the Vietcong)

8 - Notre Amour Est Comme Le Ciel, by Sin Sisamouth and Pen Ran

9 - J'attendrai, by Sin Sisamouth
10 - Tor Yang Nah [or "Sanserm"], by Sin Sisamouth

Adrien's bonuses : 

• The only movie showing Cambodian superstar Sin Sisamouth, featuring actress the actress (and singer) Sieng Dy : "Apsara", by Norodom Sihanouk (the prince yeah).
• Ros Sereysothea (the Cambodian Edith Piaf) getting into the Republican propaganda on screen. 
  
  

soleil rare 8 - mediator.

The least you can say is that I have not an extended knowledge of rock music, but I try to improve myself... here's "Soleil rare 8".

Seatrain - Sea Train.

The song title is "Sea Train", off the "Sea Train" album by Seatrain. Get it ? This album was released in 1969 on the ashes of the Blues Project. This album is the only one featuring the original line-up of the band, as it radically changed a few months after this release.

Some say Seatrain is not a rock band, more a fusion group, probably because of their use of a large range of instruments... whatever. It sounds rock to me.

Everything sounds on point on this track, and chaotic at the same time : the vocals, the orchestration (crazy horns, round bass, and even almost classical violins...), the breaks. Let your mind be blown away.

The Rolling Stones - Let's Spend The Night Together.

Do I really need to elaborate about the Stones, or even the track ? I don't think so. It's simply a classic (off a worshipped album, "Between The Buttons"), with Jagger laying down some dope vocals and Watts getting crazy with the sticks.

Just listen and move.

The Seeds - Evil Hoodoo.

My God, can it get more insane than this ?

A heady guitar riff, with additional guitar subtle picks, drums that seem to get lost in the background, ridiculous keys, and a voice sponsored by the devil. There's even an harmonica if you were not funked enough...

The Seeds were an American group of the 1960's, in a psychedelic/garage mood. Like a lot of other bands, they went through a few line-up changes. It was lead by charismatic singer Sky Saxon. "Evil Hoodoo" is featured on their first album, simply called "The Seeds". 

Led Zeppelin - Dazed And Confused. 

Although a lot of people associate Led Zeppelin with the USA, the band is British. Actually, their first album "Led Zeppelin", with its classic Hindinberg crash picture, was release in the US before it even touched the British crates... maybe that would explain the common idea... This and the fact that they were so successfull across the Atlantic Ocean. 

Well, listening to "Dazed And Confused" makes you feel in space... loud instruments (bass, drums, guitars), weird sounds, and the overwhelming voice of Robert Plant... wow. No wonder Led Zep' were credited for having given birth to the hard rock movement, even though there's nothing better than the original. Once again, a first album tells you everything you need to know about a band. 

Byzantium - Trade Wind. 

Let's cool it down a bit with psychedelic band Byzantium, another act from England, with a short career at the beginning of the 1970's. They actually released a live album before antyhing else, then dropped the "Byzantium" album, which marked a turn towards more folk vibes. 

With their recipe of multi layered vocals, Byzantium may sound a bit like the Pink Floyd. Yeah, maybe... the track is all about vocals, with a gentle acoustic guitar and almost nothing else. 

Noir Désir - Comme Elle Vient. 

Noir Désir may not be known outside of France, but it's definitively a huge band. Based on the charisma of singer Bertrand Cantat, they topped the small world of French rock in the 1990's, only to officially disband recently after a few difficult years due to Cantat's incarceration. 

The "666.667 Club" album features powerful songs, which are regarded as some of the finest and more classic ones of French rock, thanks to Cantat's poetic and sometimes political lyrics. "Comme Elle Vient" is short, brutal, showcasing Noir Dez' classic recipe of hard drums and electric guitars. 

Nirvana - Heart-Shaped Box. 

Growing up with Nirvana was a nice feeling ; they were heroes for a lot of youngsters around the world. 

"In Utero" is Nirvana's last album before Kurt Cobain's suicide. With this album, the band decided to go back to the roots of grunge, to a more dirty sound than on the world success "Nevermind". A few short studio sessions allowed the group to achieve their goal. 

"Heart Shaped Box" offers a guitar-saturated sound to the fans, Dave Grohl's impeccable tom sounds and Kris Novoselic's surrounding bass. The production of this song, and furthermore on the album, is flawless. The result : more than 5 million copies sold.  

Ben Harper - Everything. 

You might say "what the hell"... You might think I pushed it too much towards the 2000's. But Ben Harper has that authentic feel that so few have. The funny thing is that he seems to be more successfull outside the US, his home country. 

"Everything" sounds so live, with its trademark slide guitar. It's bluesy, yes, but it still sounds like rock. A different kind of rock music. Less aggressive, but still relevant. Ben Harper always brings a nice mood to the table. 

Procol Harum - Wreck Of The Hesperus. 

British band Procol Harum exploded on the rock scene in 1967 with timeless hit "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". Imagine that year... Procol Harum, The Moody Blues etc... 

Well, after that incredible success, they maintained a one-album-a-year pace for a few years. "A Salty Dog" was their third LP, and featured their almost cheesy sound, particularly on the psychedelic "Wreck Of The Hesperus", with its heady piano and chaotic drums. 

Pink Floyd - Fat Old Sun. 

In the world of music, the name Pink Floyd means psychedelic and progressive rock. It's like the origin of a sound. Nonetheless, the album "Atom Heart Mother" is a reaction to how people pictured their own sound. This post-Syd Barrett, and pre-"The Dark Side Of The Moon" effort, also marks a progress in the use of recording technology. 

However, this song, "Fat Old Sun", is David Gilmour's work. Starting with a ballad-style part and acoustic instruments, it continues with a wall of electric guitars and organs. Everything here is very gentle, and the feeling is great. A masterpiece.  

As usual, the link to the compilation is in the comment section. 

be blessed, be back.

... so was the name of the first track on DJ Mehdi's "(The Story of) Espion" album. But Mehdi won't be back. 

I've been following his career for quite some time now, and the news of his death had me devastated. It's like I grew up with his music in my ears, buying his underground (or not) stuff and rejoicing at every new release. To me, Mehdi's been inspiring. I've dreamed of his Espionnage imprint becoming huge and dropping countless projects, after I heard "Espion Le EP", which became a personal favorite with its original design and sound. But it didn't ; it stayed quiet instead. Mehdi was a discreet guy. Kind of in the shadow, even when his childhood friends gained success thanks to his musical skills.

It's like he lived several lives, switching from the most hardcore rap as a teenager to the hypest electro as a grown up, from the hardware MPC 1000 to the software Logic. In a way, he followed the footsteps of mentors Boom Bass and Zdar (aka Cassius). Mehdi felt like he belonged to the hip hop movement, and evolved so graciously in the world's biggest clubs as one of the most entertaining and skillfull DJ's. 

As a listener, I've enjoyed his rap productions as a youngster ; he was able to take rap to unexplored territories like no one else. I've enjoyed his electro mixes also. Fate had me randomly recently fall on two of his last mixes (one for the Tsugi podcast, the other posted on September 9th by Mehdi himself on his blog). Everything he delivered was so elegant. That's the word I've always had in mind when thinking about Mehdi's production.
Strangely enough, in February, abcdrduson posted a mix of Mehdi's tracks by Bachir and Slurg that sounded like a tribute. 

Since the news of his death surfaced, everyone can acknowledge the amount of friends and fans Mehdi had, famous or not. Although extremely quiet about it, Mehdi was a huge, but underrated, asset of the music industry, being friend with the likes of A-Trak, Daft Punk, Cassius, the whole Ed Banger crew of course, Chromeo, Drake, Steve Aoki, Pharrell, Peanut Butter Wolf, and of course most of the French hip hop and electro relevant scenes etc etc etc.

As inspiring as he was, it would only be justice that a flood of tributes would landed on the web in the next months, in a J Dilla fashion. J Dilla whom Mehdi tributed with his cult "Loukoums" beat tape... 

For educational purposes, I've assembled a compilation of a few of Mehdi's productions, in 4 parts. Links in the comments. 

Thank you Mehdi.

Edit : a few sweet links following Mehdi's death. 
- Dave-One, of Chromeo, wrote an emotional note about his friendship with the one he calls Memed. 
- Stones Throw posted the now legendary beat-tape "Loukoums".
- Dr. Kwest, from Belgium, posted a tribute mix on Mixcloud. 
- Feadz, a long-time friend of Mehdi's, naturally made a tribute mix.
- The newest track by Carte Blanche, "The Molecules" incidentally leaked this week. 
- Yue Wu's own version of the writing on the wall, dedicated to Mehdi. 
- A-Trak followed his brother Dave by writing his own thoughts about DJ Mehdi. He also titled his last remix, for Rapture, "How Deep Is Your Love ? (A-Trak Dub aka Dub For Mehdi)". You can download it on Soundcloud. 

diggin guide - Lisbon (Portugal).

Just like Spain, Portugal is the classic example of culture being reduced to the minimum by a dictatorship. And it applies to music of course.

When diggin for Portuguese records, you will find it mighty difficult to dig out something musically relevant from the 60's or the 70's, the golden era for most diggers. All you will find is fado. I'm not dissin on fado, but it's not really the psych type of shit most foreign collectors are looking for. Anyway, thanks to a large diaspora, a lot of foreign records arrived in Portugal through the years, especially French records.

Anyway, there are exceptions, as always. Some bands succeeded to get around the censorship, by being creative, by eliminating harsh lyrics for example. Ok, it's kind of a constraint, but it required hard balls to release cultural products in Portugal until 1974.

Fortunately, since then, Portugal and especially Lisbon opened their gates to the rest of the world and let music flow. Today, it's pretty easy to find vinyls in Lisbon.

Here are a few interesting spots.

Carbono : the ultimate experience in Lisbon. When walking up the Avenidad da Libertade, take a right at Rua das Pretas and keep going straight. Pretty easy to find.

Both new and used vinyls are in great quantity, with the quality also. Customers mostly buy CD's, so you may be alone diggin in the vinyls crate, either on the ground floor or underground. Yea, 'cause there's a basement, where the "euro bins" are. Not the best "euro bins" you'll find, but it's already pretty cool to know there are some, just for the sake of tradition.

They have a good library section, a bit pricy but I guess it's worth the price.

A word of advice : get your head straight before getting to the counter, meaning "have the right idea of how much you'll have to pay". All along the diggin process, I saw the signs "LP 10 euros, 5 LP's 40 euros", and I ended up paying the full price (50 euros) just because I didn't pay attention. Same thing with cheaper discounted records... stupid.

Flur : on the dock of Santa Apolonia, right across the street from the subway station. No sign, just half a paper sheet stuck on the window.

At first, it looks disappointing. But then, you'll understand the intent is not to sell everything and anything. There's a real selection of independant music, Flur being a place of small labels. Well, small... if you consider Stones Throw a small label for example. At least it's indie. That's the spirit of this shop, and there are some good stuff, such as releases by Finders Keeper, Now Again, Warp and more obscure labels. Mainly electro, with a bit of hip hop, soul and world music.

Market stands on Avenida da Libertade : the kind of random place you find while browsing the city. A lot of stands have vinyls, but few of them are interesting. Actually, only one or two are worth a scrupulous dig. The one I bought at, located in front of the Sofitel hotel, was full of Portuguese, but also French and American music. On the first day, I browsed the LP's ; interesting stuff, such as African music. On the second day, I browsed the 45's ; there were plenty of them. The guy really knows what he's got, and knows the value of his stash. So, if he tells you that this 45 is worth 15 euros, you will have a hard time trying to bargain. I think I missed a good opportunity by being stubborn. On the other hand, he sells a lot of his LP's between 5 and 10 euros. Don't miss this one, you might find some good shit.

Bairro Alto : avoid this place for buying records. Some shops have small crates, among other things, with records in really bad conditions (both covers and plate), and sell them for ridiculous prices, over 20 euros most of the time. Actually, it looks like the only purpose of these crates is to attract people inside and cheat them on other stuff such as clothes.

I haven't been to places like Louis Louie and Vinyl Experience though, and it seems V Records relocated or disappeared.

33 tours du monde.

Here's an article by French newspaper L'Express, talking about diggers and the whole reedition wave that's shaking the music industry right now, thanks to a few labels and hard working guys.

Sorry, it's in French.