Punk rock, world obscurities, and “deranged” mix CD’s from Keiji Yamabe’s Los Apson? record shop in Koenji, Tokyo.

The best record shops in the world are much more than just retail spaces selling plastic discs. It’s a bit cheesy, but I really believe that a great record store can open portals into other worlds, or at least function as a connecting point between seemingly disparate communities. Keiji Yamabe’s Los Apson does this better than perhaps any other record shop that I’ve visited in the world. Located in Koenji, a residential district that has over the years become a hub of underground culture, alternative music, punk rock, art, and vintage clothing, Los Apson is a paradise for the type of music lover that seeks out something new and unexpected; those obscure treasures that often lead to new obsessions.

Every square-inch of the small shop is packed to the brim with curiosities collected locally and from around the world including: records, CDs, tapes, clothing, books, magazines, and various knick-knacks (some for sale). You could easily spend a full day in here. The entire shop has a DIY aesthetic to it from the handwritten descriptions and genre dividers to the randomly (but probably meticulously) organized assortments of trinkets and vintage goods.

“You see the horizontal window at the entrance? Some people might look in through there and wonder what the shop is about. You might go in thinking it is a general store because of the knick-knacks, but in the back you will find a lot of vinyl records.”

Keiji Yamabe

I visited Los Apson for the first time last month after multiple trusted friends had recommended it. As usual, I headed straight to the new arrivals and recommended sections to get an initial sense for the music selection in the shop. One of the records that immediately caught my eye was a 2023 release by a Portuguese artist named Meta_. The description: “Mythical World Beat!! Incorporating inspiration from her Ayahuasca experience in Peru.” A quick search online revealed that the album was released on Shika Shika, “a record label without owners for music without borders.” Sounds good… Trying not to get too excited too quickly, I ended up putting this one back in the bin, but saved a note for later as I was sure this would open up some deeper discoveries down the internet digging channels.

Looking around a bit more, I realized the shop has, with no exaggeration, a little bit of just about every genre of music you could possibly want: jazz, blues, Latin, Afro, Japanese, punk, noise, hardcore, experimental, progressive rock, synth-pop, disco, boogie, house, techno, reggae, dub, avant-garde. The variety in the selection is somehow just as expansive as a massive record chain like Amoeba or Disk Union, but maybe like a bizarro-version where everything is highly curated and purposefully obscure leaning.

The electronic section I browsed had category dividers with spicy handwritten text like: “Wild !!! Nasty Rave !!!,” “Osmotic pressure… Deep House,” and a big general dance section filled with “Leftfield, Downtempo, Disco, Boogie, Cosmic, Electro, Funk, Soul.” Another zone was dedicated to Japanese music including a bin titled “Rediscovery of Japan,” which featured 歌謡曲 (Japanese Popular Songs). “Mellow筋 (Muscle) / 高円寺バレアリック (Koenji Balearic)” was another curious title that ended up having Music from Memory, Efficient Space, International Feel, and classic yacht rock releases alongside local Japanese electronic/balearic music. I ended up picking up a bunch of strange dubstep records from a dubwise-focused bin that was just sitting on the floor. Check this world-infused stepper from Croatian producer Egoless:

A friend I was traveling with ended up with what he described as “some deranged mix cds” including one titled “チャーハン / Dream Sequencer” recorded by DJ Chahan, who is a regular at legendary experimental venue FORESTLIMIT in Hatagaya. The description on the website reads: “I’m half awake, watching someone zapping through dream channels. But by morning I’ve forgotten everything. These are the ‘sounds I see’ and ‘sounds I can’t remember.’ Legendary Pink Dots, HNAS, NWW and Hyakken Uchida come to mind, but perhaps his unique trait is that he doesn’t seem to be aware of such things at all. I wonder what influenced him.”

There are hundreds of similarly DIY mix CDs available in the shop, and they’re all loaded with personality; pure selections of music recorded with zero consideration for popular opinions or trends. Many of them are recorded by the owner Yamabe himself. If you’re a DJ and looking for some inspiration from music selectors approaching things from a totally different angle, I highly recommend picking up a few of these (maybe even at random) and getting your ears and mind turned inside out.

Owner Keiji Yamabe is something of a local legend, and you can immediately tell just by looking at the guy. An artist and punk rocker at his core, Yamabe studied painting in school and frequently presents art exhibitions around Koenji. He designs many of the t-shirts available in the shop along with most of the artwork for the steady flow of mix CD’s that Los Apson releases. Previously, Yamabe worked as a buyer at Roppongi’s massive WAVE record shop in the late ’80s before opening his own shop in 1994.

Deeply respected within the Japanese punk scene and beyond, Yamabe says that “a lot of musicians, DJs, artists, and dancers frequent the shop. They tell me that they use the music here as inspiration for their creative activities.” Legendary Japanese punk musician Masaya Nakahara (Hair Stylistics) once said, “Yamabe-san is the only one who understands my music.”

Read an interview with Yamabe and designer Katsutoshi Nishimoto for HOUYHNHNM: https://www.houyhnhnm.jp/en/feature/627088/

“There are so many excellent things in the world. That’s where the idea came from… Enjoy everything! That’s what I say (laughs). I want to intensely pursue interesting things.”

Keiji Yamabe

Los Apson recently celebrated it’s 30th anniversary with a special exhibit by NOZAKI, a member of Tokyo punk/hardcore scene memorial bands such as Collapse Society, Deconstruction, and Stagnation, whose unique sense was also showcased in the crust punk exhibitions held at Los Apson’s original Nishi-Shinjuku location. For the anniversary, NOZAKI created 30 wooden masks of the Dogon tribe for the first time in a long-awaited exhibition/sale! The exhibit will be up for all of November, if you happen to be visiting Tokyo soon. Going through Los Apson’s blog, it looks like they’ll be celebrating for the entire year so look out for more events… Maybe book a flight to Tokyo just to visit 🙂

Visit Los Apson online: https://losapson.shop-pro.jp/

Follow Los Apson on Twitter: https://x.com/losapson

Follow Keiji Yamabe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yamabekeiji/