Irish producer and DJ Marion Hawkes has opened a vinyl record store called Sound Advice in Belfast. Open from Tuesday-Saturday between 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, the store is located in the PortView Trade Centre.
Before COVID-19, Hawkes regularly toured north and south Ireland. She is the co-founder of DJ/producer duo GIRL and helps organize Ponyhawke, a monthly queer-friendly underground club night. On top of this, she also helps organize the record fairs for AVA Festival, an annual audiovisual arts festival that takes place in Belfast.
According to the store’s Instagram page, Sound Advice will reflect Hawkes’ taste in music, ranging from disco, jazz, dub, reggae, techno, breaks and more. They plan to stock new and pre-owned vinyl records. To help diversify their selection, they also purchase record collections ranging from a handful to hundreds.
Speaking with record label The Vinyl Factory, Hawkes stated, “I wanted to create a safe, inclusive space that everyone can enjoy, even those who are just starting to get into vinyl. I never want it to feel intimidating. Ultimately I just want to make a space people can feel comfortable in and find some good music.”
Last Saturday, the store hosted a launch party with three DJ sets running from 1:00 PM-6:00 PM.
