Thousands of electronic music fans descend on Barcelona each June for Sónar, one of the world’s top festivals for cutting-edge sounds. Many of those who manage to carve out some time to explore the city will wander into Discos Paradiso, the best shop in Barcelona – and one of the most reputable in all of Europe – for the sort of music they’ll spend much of the weekend taking in at the festival. Founded in 2007 by Gerard Condemines and Arnau Farrés, the shop is the brick-and-mortar manifestation of their travels throughout Europe in search of great records. These days, it’s the hub of the city’s DJ scene, with myriad local releases in the bins and a wall of Polaroid photos immortalizing the vinyl fanatics from far and wide who have sought out the storefront. Here, Condemines tells the story of how Discos Paradiso came together and showcases a surprisingly wide array of music that’s meaningful to the shop, from Spanish ambient guitarist Suso Saíz to industrial nuggets to Johnny Cash.
