News

By River Soar Records | Updated April 2026 Here's something nobody tells you when you start collecting vinyl: a dirty record doesn't just sound bad — it gradually destroys itself. Every time you play a dusty record, the stylus grinds that dust deeper into the groove, adding crackle, wearing out your needle faster, and quietly damaging records that should last a lifetime. The good news? Cleaning your vinyl is easy, and a decent kit costs less than a single new pressing. Here's what you need. What Does a Record Cleaning Kit Actually Include? Most kits contain some combination of these:...

  *By Marvin Phythian River Soar Records | Updated May 2026*So you've caught the vinyl bug. Maybe you've been flicking through our collection and found something you can't resist, or perhaps a dusty box of records from the loft has reignited an old obsession. Either way, you need a turntable — and you don't want to spend a fortune.Good news: under £200 gets you a genuinely great deck in 2026. The budget end of the market has never been better, and we've put together this guide to help you find the right one without wasting your money.First Things First —...

  In recent years, there's been a notable resurgence in the popularity of home jukeboxes across the UK. Once a staple of 1950s diners and arcades, these iconic machines are now making a comeback in living rooms, home bars, and entertainment spaces. This revival is driven by a blend of nostalgia, the tactile appeal of vinyl, and a desire for unique home entertainment experiences. Modern jukeboxes, such as those crafted by British manufacturer Sound Leisure, offer a fusion of retro aesthetics and contemporary technology. These machines can play various formats, including vinyl, CDs, and digital files, and often come equipped...

Marvin and Fiona Phythian @ The Musician From the moment he surreptitiously sneaked through the audience, Bramwell appears as a consummate singer-songwriter at incredible ease with his surroundings within Leicester’s famous venue - The Musician. Although not always mentioned in the folk scene due to his Indie roots a conversation needs to be had about how good Bramwell really is.  It is this writers view that John Bramwell must surely be considered one of the great English folk singer songwriters even if he is seen as more indie by some. In my mind John Bramwell is somewhere between the celebrated...

Some may say that being a DJ is simply being in charge of the music and pressing play and that’s it’s a fairly straight-forward business. Those in the know, know that the truth of the matter is quite the opposite. The process of lugging around turntables, amps, heavy speakers, various lights, dj booths, records, laptops, a million wires and then the pressure of getting it all to work together (which it never does first time) is an art itself . Then there’s a difference between playing your own playlists at a party through some expensive speakers and carefully selecting your...