Darsko

king his passion a step further by carving out a small space in Beirut's cultural landscape entirely dedicated to just that: records. What was once his grandfather's shoe factory on the busy street of Maraach in Bourj Hammoud is now a “DJ crate-digging space” that hosts a wide variety of selections from his collection, as well as some handmade accessories including leather bags. It's not so much the profit Ernesto is after, but bringing together like-minded people over their shared love of all things authentically audio. “My friends, they come in, they hang out, we listen, we exchange,” he told Beirut.com. The space could also be seen as an extension of Ernesto’s own house, which he calls “a warehouse of records.” But what you get in Ernesto's shop is a labor of love. He brought in some furniture and a gorgeous floral vintage chandelier which commands attention at the center of the ceiling. Every single one is a tile sample that differs in both color and texture, and all were installed by Ernesto himself. “It took me eight months to do this because I did everything by hand,” he told Beirut.com"