Record Store Profile: Repressed Records NSW
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Repressed Records NSW (Supplied)
What is your store called?
Repressed Records
Where are you located?
413 King St, Newtown, NSW and online here.
Tell us about the people behind the scenes?
All staff that work behind the counter Repressed Records have rich inner lives and are involved in some type of local, grassroots music activity like playing in a band or occasionally booking a show.
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When and why did the store open?
Our beloved founder Chris Sammut (hello Chris!) opened the store in an arcade in Penrith back in 2002. You’ll have to ask him exactly why he did it, but I think it was because he didn’t enjoy his instrument fitter apprenticeship and wanted to create something interesting in the suburbs. Oh, also his love of music.
What do your customers most know you for?
I would say regardless of what area of the store they gravitate towards our regulars know that we go to effort to stock realms of music that other stores don’t, and they very much appreciate that effort. We love all kinds of music and have everything from Punk to Jazz, Metal to Electronic, new and secondhand, random $4 vinyl crates to select Japanese pressings (courtesy of Obi Records). Our distinctive specialisation is independent and underground titles from Australia and around the world. While we have lots of vinyl, we also stock CDs, cassettes and printed matter.
What is the most popular title you stock at the moment?
Our most popular title this year is Dumbells - Up Late With… LP, and for good reason! One of the best guitar-centric records out of Sydney in yonks. If you enjoy Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, Pavement etc (as Molly Meldrum would say) do yourself a favour!
What is the most popular evergreen title?
Due to changing point of sales systems at least 3 or 4 times since 2002 I can’t give you a statistically accurate answer but I recall selling a steady flow of Wu-Tang Clan’s debut, Death (as in the Florida band, but the Detroit Death is also popular) and Fugazi since the Penrith days.
What is the best thing about running a record store in 2025?
Everything! I love my beautiful life in music filled with endless heartwarming interactions with the general public.
What is the hardest thing about running a record store in 2025?
I get to hold the key to the kingdom of physical music media, I’m not complaining!
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