Life Has Surface Noise: 001

BLOG & EMAIL BLAST 001 | 06.3.24

Dydh da & welcome to ‘Life Has Surface Noise’, our periodic email blast by Crates is High: a Cornish record shop and pop-up store run by music obsessives DJ Simon S and A Chap Called Wayne.

Come along for the ride.

Find us all throughout Devon and Cornwall with our home base in Launceston, Cornwall. You will find us popping-up all over the South-West in our trusty Crates is High van ‘ Jiggly-Ros’ - bringing a large selection of great records and other music related merch to a fantastic venue near YOU!

Jiggly-Ros (with Ros being ‘wheels’ in Kernowek and Jiggly being a loose interpretation of the number plate - it’s anything but jiggly when loaded with crates) - it’s no Millennium Falcon but it’s a sturdy pard and gets us where we want to go. Hubbox session, RWY, Plymouth.

Playing Jazz, Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, Funk, Soul, Electronica and Broken Beat, along with anything else we fancy throwing in the mix, we also bring along a sizeable collection of new and pre-loved records for sale so you can dig to your hearts content. You will find music that covers all the above as well as classic Rock, Pop, Indie, Folk, R&B, Disco, House, Dubstep, Reggae, Punk, D&B, Library, Latin and much much more. 

You will find music related books and magazines, a selection of CDs as well as cassettes (they never left us) and other merch and rarities amongst the vinyl.

The music we play fits the venue and time of day of course but will mostly be based around jazz fusion with hip-hop breaks and beats with lots of funk and soul, letting us create a laid back, friendly vibe and allowing us to up the tempo when the need arises. All whilst you dig deep In those crates and unearth some gems for your collection.

Digging at the Sink Inn, Newquay, Cornwall.

DJ Simon S - on the decks at Bluntrock Brewery, Rock, Cornwall.

The Gorgeous Cornish coast.

A Chap called Wayne - on the decks, Hubbox, Plymouth.

Hubbox session, Falmouth - looking out at the harbour and National Maritime Museum.

The Story So Far

Crates is High started in 2023 after DJ Simon S aka Simon Skolfield of the Futuristica record label (www.futuristicamusic.com) relocated to Cornwall with his partner and critically acclaimed soul singer Deborah Jordan and their dog Dilla. A fortunate chance encounter in a local coffee house then led to many creative and collaborative ideas as a burgeoning link up with local photographer and creative Wayne Hudson aka A Chap Called Wayne (www.by-hudson.com) was forming. Things were moving along nicely.

Simon has been producing music for almost 30 years and was co-producer of down-tempo trio Break Reform before creating music as Jazz Chronicles, Sun Circle and most recently The Peter Franks Group. Simon has plied his trade all over the world, playing in Japan, The US and throughout Europe alongside names such as Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova and Patrick Forge. 

Check out the Futuristica music family here.

Both Simon and Wayne were inspired by Cornwall and Devon and wanted to contribute to the local creative and music scene - a plan was underway. And so very soon 'Crates Is High’ was born - a record store that comes to you. It felt like the perfect way to explore a newly adopted homeland, meet the people and get involved with the wider Cornish and Devonshire community. We are not what you might imagine if someone explains what we do, or maybe I don’t give you enough credit dear reader, so do please forgive me. We don’t just bring a few boxes of records to sell on market day, we partner up with choice venues in stunning and unique locations. We play music that we love and bring along records that we want to share. A curated list that spans across genres but with many being personal favourites. We have a listening deck so that you can give that wax a spin to make sure it’s what you are after and we bring along lots of other musical merch. To our delight, pretty much most people not only understand but embrace what we are doing - and its been fantastic fun!

Our venues are chosen with care - we want to be linking up in places that we would (and often do) visit and enjoy spending time in. Importantly places that share our creative ethos on life, The Universe, Music and everything, (Douglas Adams I am sure would approve of or at least forgive my addition here). We are just fortunate that we live in a part of the world that thrives with an abundance of unique independent minds. It’s why we feel at home here and no doubt why, though still in its infancy, Crates is High is going from strength to strength.

DJ Simon S

A Chap Called Wayne

A young record collector at the Sink Inn, Newquay getting a signed copy of The Peter Franks Group LP.

Hubbox, Plymouth - crate digging.

We have been fortunate enough to partner with some wonderful people and places since starting - among them have been Hubbox (also known as The Hub) in Falmouth, Plymouth and St Ives each month where we are always warmly welcomed by each team and where the food and atmosphere for our laid back Sunday sessions are second-to-none.

In Newquay you will find us at The Sink Inn where Cam, Eden and the rest of team run the most vibrant and friendly bar you could hope for. When we finish our session the evening is taken over by Scottie with ‘Put It On’ as he keeps the vinyl flowing late into the evening where people bring there own records and take them for a spin.

Bluntrock is another special place - an Independent brewery who have a novel space in yellow shipping containers - it must be seen to be believed. You will find this delightfully Cornish space as the name suggests in Rock. The wonderful folks that own and run Bluntrock are always on hand to support what we do and with Carys ever present behind the bar it is a pleasure to be involved with what they do. 

Things Happen Here in Dartington near Totnes is one of our newest partnerships and where Ed and his team have a community driven venue with plenty on (the name is a dead giveaway) and we have a feeling that special things lie ahead for us here.

There have been some wonderful sunset sessions at organic and soil-centric Crocadon Farm where chef-owner Dan and the team have just been awarded a Michelin star - so big shout out and much love and kudos to them!

We have been lucky enough to be involved in some of the many local breweries and taprooms including Stannary in Tavistock, another being our local Launceston brewery Firebrand. And this is just the start with plenty more link-ups on the horizon throughout the coming months.

Digging deep, Hubbox, Falmouth.

Hubbox, Falmouth.

On the listening deck, Things Happen Here, Totness.

It’s not just vinyl you know! Although there is plenty of that as well.

Crocadon farm - 120 acre farm that includes a restaurant, brewery, coffee house and shop.

Digging - Crocadon farm.

Starting the vinyl collection young. The Sink Inn, Newquay.

Firebrand - our local Brewery and Taproom, Launceston.

Taking Up Roots

As well as both Simon and Wayne now calling Launceston, or Lansen as it is known to it’s residents, their home, both wanted to go a step further and have been searching for the perfect spot to set up shop.

So we are proud to announce that Crates Is High, as well as taking to all corners of Cornwall and Devon with our pop-ups, will soon have a permanent home in Lanson  at number 2 Northgate Street, smack bang in-between Liberty Coffee House and The Bell Inn and only a short walk from Launceston Castle and The Eagle House Hotel. 

We will be open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday to begin with, from 10am till 4pm in the afternoon. With parking nearby and close links to some of the other fabulous independently run businesses in the town - we are proud to call this our home and basecamp for both Crates Is High and Futuristica and all related creative projects.

More on these exciting developments in the next blast.

Carys and bar companion Dipa, Bluntock Brewery.

Hubbox, St Ives, Cornwall with some of our favourite crate diggers making the trip over especially to support us by bringing their friends. Thanks folks.

A merry chance meeting with Duncan Beiny, better known as DJ Yoda, at Things Happen Here. Well yes they most certainly seem to - as this was a welcome surprise.

Duw genes & meur ras / Thank you & goodbye

…and remember just like with our beloved vinyl - Life Has Surface Noise - and thats a good thing! Have the best day.