When Kevin Starke opened Kstarke Records in the Humboldt Park section of Chicago back in 2006, it was the culmination of a long road to vinyl recovery. A longtime DJ who’d lost most of his prized house and disco collection when his car got broken into after a gig, Kevin began the lengthy and methodical process of seeking out replacement copies for his lost wares. Eventually, however, he realized that his skill for turning up in-demand titles for cheap translated remarkably well into a career as a record seller himself. At Kstarke, this DIY resourcefulness pervades the shop’s clubhouse-style environs – from the handmade record bins and signs to the photos of visiting dignitaries (Jeff Mills, Rick Wilhite, James Pants) and area regulars that line a Polaroid-festooned wall of fame.
