We don’t tend to associate Florence with sifting through a box of vinyl records, heads bopping to Fleetwood Mac. However, an enticing scene for audiophiles can be found by looking beyond the historic centre. Since our last tour of Florence’s record store scene in 2017, Fabio Corcos (aka DJ Fabio della Torre) and friend Michele Alunni have opened Logout, a shop and hub for music nerds. I donned my headphones and took a trip to via San Gallo to speak with Corcos about his new venture.
The store itself is unassuming, boasting a coolly unfussy aesthetic. The pair have organised the rectangular layout simply, crates of vinyl down each side and featured artists’ records lining the walls. Walking to the end of the room, we find a cashier desk-cum-DJ-deck nestled amongst second-hand equipment for sale (decks, speakers, pianos and pedals), along with a rail of Logout-branded T-shirts and tote bags.
A piano player and drummer-turned-DJ at Florence’s iconic Tenax Club, Fabio travelled the world in the Nineties before opening his Tuscany-based Bosconi record label in 2008. From promoting his own self-produced material, he gradually began to buy second-hand records and attend local markets to sell the result of his collecting.
“The idea of opening a record shop felt natural to me,” he explains. His obsession with records feels completely authentic. “People say that vinyl is coming back, but for me, it never went away,” he smiles, presenting a meticulously cultivated stack of electronic sleeves. A desire to broaden his knowledge of other genres is part of Logout’s lifeblood. “Having my own label has allowed me to understand manufacturing, distribution and collaboration, but having the shop makes me interested in so much more music. I’m always wanting to learn and grow as much as I can.”
While offering diverse artists in store, a range that mirrors Fabio’s globetrotting musical background, he maintains a drive to push local labels and friends. Front and centre in Fabio’s in-store collection are records by Florence-born artists Marco Celeri, Sindaco, Minimono and ZUG (Zona Utopica Garantita).
It’s this Florentine perspective, which, in my opinion, makes the project original. Fabio insists that, despite the city’s medieval connotations, its music scene is thrumming. While the influence of the 80s New Wave and subsequent italo disco is still evident, the music “is now looking for different spaces instead of the classic disco or club… [these] stopped being places for the aggregation of people, but became places to conduct business.” Corcos continues: “Logout could become a space where people can meet and exchange ideas about music.”
Promising DJ workshops, synthesiser tutorials and weekly events to promote local labels and artists, Logout cultivates a holistic space to strengthen a community of musicians, harking back to a simpler time of making and sharing music. “On the web you’re overwhelmed with content, whereas vinyl feels much more relaxing, less complicated. It’s a format that really lasts over time…I like that you can use a vinyl record, even when it’s slightly scratched.” In its unpretentious simplicity, Logout achieves what it sets out to do: capture the tradition, individuality and communality of vinyl music.
Despite having opened its doors only a month ago, Logout’s programme of events has so far proved to be a roaring success. “It is as though people needed something like that.” A week after I visit the store, Logout hosts one of its hotly anticipated multi-release parties, “Roots Underground”, featuring in-store live sessions with artists signed under Bosconi Records. I sense that what Fabio and Michele are offering is a unique opportunity for music creators and listeners alike.
Fabio has managed to combine a niche interest for Tuscan artists with an insatiable appetite for exchanging new ideas. So, if you’re after a new record, live music session, or even just a chat with its charismatic owners, pay Logout a visit.
Fabio’s Top 3 from Logout
- Daft Punk, Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
- The Prodigy, The Fat of the Land
- Kraftwerk, Radioactivity
Other vinyl stores we love
Move On (piazza San Giovanni 1R)
Rock Bottom (via de’ Giraldi 16R)
Contempo Records (via dei Neri 15R)
Twisted Jazz Shop (borgo San Frediano 21R)
