3 Phase Records sits on Loveday Street in Birmingham’s Gun Quarter, inside a Grade II listed building that dates back to the 1700s. Spread across two floors, it is an independent shop for people who want to spend real time with underground electronic vinyl, from house, techno and trance to hard house, hardcore and drum and bass, with Northern Soul, rock and pop in the racks as well.
Background / History
The 3 Phase name began in 2007 as a Birmingham electronic label, started by Tom Berry and James Ellis after they met through the city’s hard house scene. James stepped away in 2010, and Tom has run the label since, widening its range in 2023 to take in a broader spread of club music, including trance. After years of selling records online through the website, Discogs and eBay, he opened the physical shop in July 2026, having fitted the empty Loveday Street rooms out by hand. It is meant as a meeting point for local DJs and collectors.
What You’ll Find
You will find thousands of new and used records, with the emphasis on underground electronic music: house, techno, trance, hard house, hardcore and drum and bass, alongside Northern Soul, rock, pop and more. A large amount of the stock is only available in the shop, and new records are added to the shelves every week. You can buy, sell or trade vinyl here, and they will consider collections of all sizes, with home visits if you have a lot to move on. Merchandise is on the rails too, and there are cold drinks and snacks if you are settling in for a longer dig.
Experience / Atmosphere
The rooms have a handmade, lived-in feel, with wooden bins, a fireplace, and listening stations so you can hear a record before you take it home. A sign points you upstairs for more vinyl, so it is worth giving both floors time. The shop has already hosted in-store DJ sessions, and it is an easy place to linger, chat and keep digging. It is closed Monday to Thursday, so plan your visit for Friday, Saturday or Sunday, when the door is open and the bins are yours to work through.
Why Visit
- Two floors of new and second-hand vinyl in a historic Gun Quarter building, with plenty of stock you will not find listed online
- Listening stations, so you can try a record before you buy
- A focused underground dance selection, with room still left for Northern Soul, rock and pop
- You can sell or trade your own vinyl, and the shop has started putting on in-store DJ sessions
Summary
If you have been looking for a Birmingham shop that takes underground dance vinyl seriously, 3 Phase Records is well worth the trip to Loveday Street. Come on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, give both floors a proper dig, and you are likely to leave with something you would not have stumbled across online.
