DESTINATION: BROCKLEY

New spot, same attitude: Simon Berkovitch heads to Brockley to sample the international delights in store at a South-East London institution in the making

- Simon Berkovitch

A pink sign on the pavement catches your eye. “Records Wanted,” it shouts – and who are we to resist? Welcome to South East London and Lorenzo’s, a local shop with international appeal, a labour of love owned and staffed by super-friendly DJ, label boss and music enthusiast Lorenzo Bandiera.

Open Thursday to Sunday, Lorenzo’s is located between Brockley and Crofton Park, less than 10 minutes walk from Brockley Overground station. The airy space is all clean lines, wooden browsers and minimal chic, with rarities and desirable releases on display on three walls and crowd-pleasers in the window. Just how it should be.

There are more than 5,000 records in stock here. “We cover everything from reggae, soul and jazz, to jungle and broken beat,” Lorenzo explains. “I also love Italo and other related genres. Every time I go to Italy I pick up a lot! We’re a bit all over the place – definitely more eclectic than conventional. I like weird and wonderful stuff… not necessarily collectable. If you are coming for classic rock, it’s probably not your place.” That said, there’s usually a crate of esoteric rock picks under the racks, affordably priced, like many of the records here.

What proportion of the stock is new? “Very little: I’m more focused on second hand.” There’s a mixture of stock coming though the door and from Lorenzo sourcing collections, as well as record shopping trips abroad – under normal circumstances that is.