Once again Record Store Day 2026 was upon us! Phonica opened its doors for one of the biggest days of the year. From the early hours, the store buzzed with familiar faces and newcomers alike, all eager to dig through racks of limited RSD titles while also crate-dig for hidden gems, and soak up the day-long soundtrack provided by an incredible unannouced secret roster of top name DJs down in our basement space (which we only open once a year).
On the shop floor we had an eclectic soundtrack supplied before we opened downstairs. Diggers were welcomed by the dubby sounds of Daire Carolan, the post-punky gems of Paul Day and the selective disco and housey vibes of Sweet Free Association label-head Sam Don.
At 1pm, we opened up the doors to the below. It wasn’t long before our smoky, club-lit basement was filled with early dancers bopping away to the chuggy sounds of NTS’ Babyschon, our first secret guest of the evening. A decent crowd had already gathered, some still balancing record bags in one hand, some with our limited edition Topologie collab that we gave away. Harri Pepper followed, unfolding a hypnotic set that went all over, varying elements of minimal, chuggy anthems and guitar layed techy rollers. It felt like a sunrise captured in sound: warm percussion, airy pads, and full of textures.
Jayda G hit the decks at 3pm bringing a different energy to the table. House, disco, and funk intertwined as the floor responded in waves, hands raised, laughter spilling over. Vinyl dropped with precision, cheeky samples and classic grooves giving the room a feeling of joyous unpredictability. Subb-An & Luther Vine at 4pm brought a taut, tech-house driven edge, and you could feel the floor tighten and release like a coil being wound. At this point the room was in full tilt. Paula Tape followed, her percussion-heavy selections turning the room into a hypnotic hive; the energy was steady, deep, and relentless, a quiet storm that the dancers rode with subtle smiles.
At 6pm, Voigtmann immersed the room in deep minimal techno. The crowd seemed to sway as one, drawn into the magnetic pulse, eyes half-closed, heads nodding in perfect synchrony. Cassy’s set followed, a fluid blend of classic house and sleek techno, and the dancefloor was following every beat and kick to a T. Finally, Manfredas from Dresden closed the night with cinematic, Industrial electro and hefty druggy chuggers. His set was meditative yet urgent, building peaks and valleys that left the crowd euphoric—a fitting end to a day to probably one of the best Record Store Days to date.
Of course all this would not of been possible without Waterworks Festival, Jubel Beer, Zion Audio Productions, the streaming broadcast by Forward Movement Studio (Sets coming soon), the stunning photos by Fran Hales and of course all of our hard working staff.
Til next year!
