Step inside SputnikRekordz and suddenly, the bustle of the market fades away. Shelves stacked with vinyl records line the space while a disco ball hangs overhead, casting a nostalgic glow.
Founder and owner Naza Mohamad never wanted the store to be tucked inside a sleek shopping mall. Instead, he chose the wet market for its character and atmosphere.
“When I started, a lot of people said, ‘Gila (crazy), you want to open a record store in a wet market? People come here to buy vegetables, not records’,” Naza told FMT Lifestyle with a laugh.
Eight years on, he has proven the doubters wrong. Today, SputnikRekordz regularly draws customers from around the world, including Germany, Russia, Japan, the UK and Singapore.
Not surprising since the collection has been carefully curated by Naza. It features international legends and regional treasures across genres ranging from jazz and disco to funk, techno, city pop and many more.
“We have Bee Gees, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and more. But what we really concentrate on is Southeast Asian music,” Naza shared.
Customers can also look forward to beloved local icons including P Ramlee, Saloma, Sheila Majid, Sudirman and Alleycats.
Naza estimates the store houses about 3,000 to 4,000 records, with 70-80% being first pressings – the earliest batch of records produced when an album is released, prized by collectors for their sound quality and historical value.
Yet even that offers only a small glimpse into Naza’s love for music. The founder, vocalist and guitarist of The Times and former guitarist of OAG has over 10,000 records at home!
His fascination with vinyl began young, after watching his parents and uncle play records. By the time he was in his late teens, he had already bought his first vinyl record – an album by Van Morrison.
Naza shared that back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when many people were moving away from vinyl, he began collecting records.
Over time, the hobby evolved into something bigger. Today, Naza describes SputnikRekordz as more than just a record store. To him, it is also an archive of rare and forgotten music from Southeast Asia.
Among the artistes Naza hopes more people will rediscover are Singaporean band The Straydogs and Sarawakian singer Fatimah Razak, whom he describes as “Malaysia’s queen of funk”.
Beyond the store, Naza runs a record label, also called SputnikRekordz, focusing on releasing vinyl records, CDs and cassettes for local artistes. He has even co-authored a book titled “Psyche Oh! A Go Go: Lost Gems of Malaysia/Singapore Pop Music ’64-’74”.
For Naza, physical music still holds a special magic in the streaming era. “Streaming music is for when you’re listening in the car or through a simple speaker. But if you really want to sit down and enjoy the music, vinyl is the best.
“It’s the best format for people who truly love and are passionate about music,” he said.
Even more surprisingly, Naza revealed that most of his customers today are from the younger generation who have embraced physical music again.
A similar observation was shared by the store’s manager, Pengiran Khairul Anwar Pengiran Bahrin. The 37-year-old, better known as Khairul, believes interest in vinyl grew during the pandemic as many people searched for new hobbies.
“Most customers say they enjoy the vibe here. For those who are new to vinyl, we’ll also teach them how to properly care for and clean records,” Khairul shared.
That sense of warmth and shared enthusiasm is perhaps what makes SputnikRekordz feel so special.
Inside this unlikely shop in a wet market, music is not merely sold. It is preserved, celebrated and lovingly passed from one generation to the next.
SputnikRekordz
TD-068 and 069,
Pasar Besar Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Jalan Wan Kadir
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 12pm-8pm (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: 012-316 4375
For location, click here. Prefer not to drive? The Taman Tun Dr Ismail MRT station is only about a nine-minute walk away!
Learn more about SputnikRekordz on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Follow Naza Mohamad on Facebook and Instagram.