Joe Theobald, aka DJ Captain Wormhole, Looks at all things vinyl 

DEDICATED readers of the Swindon Advertiser will already be in the know about RPM Records, a new record store opening in Old Town this Saturday.

The good work of my colleagues, Amber Hicks and Barrie Hudson, in covering this joyous addition to Swindon’s retail scene has presented me with a minor dilemma; how to cover that which has already been covered twice, thrice?

I met Greg and Karrie at The Hop just across from their new premises, to discuss the venture over a few Belgians.

We were also joined by their nine-year-old daughter, Darcey, but she chose to keep a clear head and stick to squash.

The Miszkowkis don’t immediately strike me as prospective record store owners, which is in many ways a compliment; they don’t really seem nerdy enough.

Karrie is very new to vinyl, by her own admission, and whilst Greg has been collecting records for 10 years, which seems a fairly long time, it really isn’t, especially when you’re going in to the business with no previous experience pushing wax.

Our conversation meanders along well beaten tracks: “What are your main genres?” “Favourite records?” “Biggest regret?” (not buying a Bowie picture disc Starman 7 Record Store Day release) etc. It dawns on me. These guys really are different to any record store owners I’ve known before. They aren’t DJs, Jazz geeks, Hip-Hop heads or veteran diggers. They aren’t self-proclaimed experts or snobs or even very fussy about whether a record is a first edition or a re-issue.

What they are, though, is enthusiasts. They’ve put themselves on the line — because let’s be fair, going in to business on your own is a very big step — all because they love records. They love the artwork, they love the feel, they love the sound and they even like peeling off the cellophane.

RPM opens this Saturday, they’re on Devizes Road and they’ll have live music and DJs.

Next week: Eurotrash