white noise records - hong kong

Rent prices in Hong Kong make it virtually impossible to run anything fringe. The underground scene is small as it is, that confounded by the costs of running anything downtown throws up serious hindrances in the pursuit of pleasure. White Noise has had to move a few times already due to this exact problem. Recently they have bounced around the Sham Shui Po area, and seem to have settled, for now.

It's not often you find small underground record stores in Asia, especially with the variety and quality on show here. The owner, not the most verbose specimen on earth, sits stroking his adorable cat answering any question with either a shrug or monosyllabic exhalation. I'm fine with that. I guess i'd want to kill people if every day you had either hipsters coming in trying to impress you with their knowledge or nerds attacking you for carrying the wrong Japan Import version. It is a service to mankind that is rarely acknowledged. 

However, in the spirit of keeping things underground, and fighting for the mainstream to back off just a little bit longer, I implore you to take an afternoon and walk over here, maybe combine it with a visit to the Tim Ho Wan nearby, spend a few hard earned HK Dollars on a nice record or a t-shirt if that's more your thing.

​Pet the cat, pay heed to the owner.

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.