If you thought old-style phonographic recordings had gone the way of the dodo you are in for a surprise

Far removed from the ring roads and grand avenues that punctuate Beijing are its historic alleys, and in these you can stumble over well-hidden shopping gems.

Until a year ago one of these was a tiny shop called Free Sound, in the downtown area, which prided itself as an independent purveyor of vinyl records and other musical recordings.

Sixteen years ago the owner, Wang Zhuohui, quit his job in the hospitality industry and opened the shop, which specialized in domestic and international indie singer-songwriters of various styles.

The Beijing native says seeing people in the shop, no matter whether they were looking for something in particular or simply browsing, was a delight.

"I think people liked spending time there. It was a space where you could discover music, and I got to tell some of the customers about my ideas on music."