Mystery Jets
It was always a little odd that the Pure Groove record
shop was sandwiched between a particularly poor kebab shop and a bath
fixtures showroom in Archway, north London. But when picking their new
bigger and better location, they still managed to come up with
somewhere unusual, eschewing busier hubs like Soho or Shoreditch for a
spot by Smithfields meat market.
The vastly larger store space has allowed Pure Groove to focus on
the Pure Groove 100, a careful selection of what the Pure Groove staff
consider to be the top 100 releases of the moment. Arranged as a wall
installation with numbered metal compartments lining the bottom for
easy browsing, this current list of 100 includes The Shoes' debut 7"
with Polaroid snaps of celebrity sneakers and a special edition of
Foals' LP complete with a screenprint by Tinhead. Exhibition space has
also been incorporated into the store, with the walls currently adorned
with Kate Moross' neon graphic prints. Expect future shows to include
Factory Records' graphic designer Peter Saville.
The new Pure Groove officially launched last night with a live
performance from Jeremy Warmsley, who covered New Order's "Temptation",
taken from his new double A-side single 'The Boat Song'. Mystery Jets
followed, performing tracks from the new album 'Twenty One'. They also
declared that they'd never play at a meat market venue again.
Luckily
for Pure Groove, they have a stellar lineup planned for the next
fortnight including Lykke Li, Ipso Facto, Metronomy and Black Devil
Disco Club all performing in store, which will ensure we'll all be
making regular trips to the meat market.