Hamdi Ryder on Keeping Vinyl Culture Alive in Tunisia
The Tunisian DJ/producer and label head honcho unpacks the story of Tunisia's only dedicated vinyl record store, Eddisco Records.
Across much of the MENA region, crate-digging is rarely a simple pursuit. While cities such as Casablanca, Algiers and Cairo have seen renewed interest in record collecting, independent labels and underground electronic music heads over the past decades, dedicated record stores remain scarce across much of the region. Limited access to physical music, high import costs and a relatively small collector base have made it difficult for vinyl culture to establish the infrastructure found in Europe or North America. Yet a new generation of DJs, producers and selectors is helping to change that, treating records not only as a listening format but as a means of preserving musical heritage, fostering community and creating deeper connections with local scenes.
In Tunisia, DJ and producer Hamdi Ryder has been quietly trying to keep vinyl culture alive through his store, Eddisco Records. Launched in 2018, the store first started out as a covert, appointment-only operation run straight out of a small apartment in downtown Tunis, for an official, dedicated record shop simply didn’t exist in the country at the time. Over the years, Eddisco grew as one of the main hubs for electronic music in the region, rapidly growing a community of selectors and diggers, while simultaneously acting as a launchpad for emerging talents and hosting events that focus specifically on artists pressing their music to vinyl, and giving local and regional producers a platform to promote their world.
As a record store and a label, Eddisco’s sonic direction remains fiercely eclectic, spanning the entire spectrum of electronic music with a colorful, vibrant energy that refuses to be boxed in, as its shelves and discography house a rich collection that goes from house and techno to hip-hop, jazz and disco.
During Sandbox Festival 2026, we caught up with Hamdi Ryder to uncover how Eddisco Records first started, the challenges he faced to keep it running, and the importance of physical crate-digging and how he aims to preserve the vinyl culture in Tunisia through the imprint.
Watch the full interview below:
