Records I Found at A1 in 2023

Boston: not a record store town. So days in New York are spent shop hopping. Open since 1996, A1 Records is still the storied standard for digging. This wasn’t my best year (too bad we didn’t do a book last year!) But here are solid finds, and a couple treasures. – Sacha

1. Black Science Orchestra – Where Were You

A record with a story! This is probably my favorite find. “Where Were You?” added a UK joint to the New York conversation. It’s heavily influenced by New York Garage (without being hacky) but embellished with unique synthetic elements (responsible for its approval by Andrew Weatherall). It’s not surprising Frankie Knuckles made it a hit in New York—man, I can imagine ending a set with this, with its engaging bassline and vocal elements with building sparkle.