Space Four Zero, due to turn 11 years old in June, recently moved to the third (and best) of their locations, on St 240, with its paintings and collectible poster art now spread out on the walls in a spacious hang. The vinyl lounge part of the business – yes, you can buy vinyl records in Phnom Penh – continues to expand, driven by releases from the associated enterprise Pearl of Asia Records. LengPleng sat down for a chat with proprietor Tony Lefferts about what’s up in the crazy world of pressing Cambodian vinyl.
“The business started pretty much as a gallery,” says Tony. “I incorporated a record shop into that, and then the label started up in 2018. The big news is we’re getting ready to press Japan Guitar Shop – I’m a big fan, I like what they’re doing. We’ll press their first record, Done You Right, there’ll be have a big release party and concert. We’ll sell that locally and throughout Southeast Asia. Also coming soon is a new record by Sinn Sisamouth, Groove Club Volume 5, in June. A lot of things going on, trying to boost the local scene.”
The Groove Club series originated with Lion Records, based in Chicago. “When I discovered it they had already done volumes one and two. These are the gold standard for Cambodian re-issues, with gatefolds and liner notes. The originals were done in 2010, they’re now very pricey and hard to find. For me personally – this is the record that got me turned on to Cambodian music, through a friend who owns a record store in Houston, Texas. I contacted Lion and asked why they weren’t doing more, and they said the Cambodians they did it with are no longer around, and I said hey, I’m around. I got in contact with the family and we cut a royalty deal, even got songs onto a couple of films. So there was some revenue from that.”
The records are pressed in the USA or Australia, sometimes Germany or the Czech Republic. “I press Sinn Sisamouth vinyl in the US at the best pressing plant in the world. Then Lion have worldwide distribution, so it’s sold all over. They do coloured vinyl also – Volume 4 sold out in black and in blue. It’s not huge pressings like a major label. It’s a labour of love, not a big money-maker. We make sure it’s high quality, knowing there’s a few Cambodian compilations that are not really representative, not remastered or anything.”
Tony regrets the impact of COVID on the local music scene. “I’m just trying to stay here and help build it back up. We love this place, and we don’t want to go back to other places we come from. I wish the music scene was a little more robust, but that takes time, and I think it’s on the right track. More foreign musicians are coming here to make it a home.”
You can find this treasure trove of Cambodian vinyl reissues – along with heaps of other vintage and rare records, collectible rock’n’roll posters, books, Cambodian paintings and prints – at Space40, #25, St 240 near Street 19 (by The Shop and Red Apron).
