BeatCaffeine’s Record Store Day 2026 Recommendations
This Saturday, April 18th is Record Store Day 2026, which over the last several years, has greatly become the prime day for many labels to release limited-edition or never-before-released vinyl albums, singles, compilations and reissues — often (even to BeatCaffeine’s disliking) on color vinyl. You can even make the argument that this annual event has become more like “record label day” or “new vinyl collectables day”, given its evolution. While the day usually attracts many hardcore collectors (sometimes camping out for 10-12 hours or more), shops also often see a large influx of casual music fans and even a few that might be buying their first record. Regardless, these are all great things.
In past posts I’ve expressed my “very complicated feelings” about RSD, and therefore there is no need to delve into those thoughts again here (even though I fully stand by them and support those Record Shops that have chosen to not participate with official RSD inventory). With an inflow of special RSD releases, I’ll focus my energy on some of BeatCaffeine’s recommended releases that will hit shelves (for probably only an hour or less … reminder, don’t panic — the records are often issued again, even when it’s marketed that they won’t be).
Similar to the the past years on Record Store Day, I would like to request four things:
1) Include at least one non-RSD release in your purchases (used or new)
2) Crucial: Before you make your way to the record shops this Saturday, please read BeatCaffeine’s Record Shopping Etiquette: The Do’s, The Don’ts, and Best Practices
3) Most importantly, have fun digging and be nice to everyone in the shops and be respectable to everyone around you. Record shopping is fun, so let’s keep it that way.
4) For BeatCaffeine, everyday is “record store day”, so make sure to return and support your favorite shops throughout the year.
In no particular order, here are BeatCaffeine’s recommended 2026 Record Store Day releases
(as always I’m sure I missed a few)
Heliocentrics ft. Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott & Bilal — ‘Nuclear War’
(Strut Records)
Strut unleashes Nuclear War, a heavy, one-off studio collision between The Heliocentrics, Sun Ra Arkestra legends Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott, and vocalist Bilal. Centered on raw, psychedelic funk and cosmic jazz, the EP reimagines key Sun Ra and Arkestra pieces into dense, and groove-driven soundscapes. If you push that button …
Lonnie Sattin — ‘Caravan / Uska Dara’
(Panorama)
Panorama continues to deliver incredible releases, presenting for the first time on 7-inch Lonnie Sattin’s percussive rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” — hugely influential on the UK jazz dance scene and a staple of legendary DJ Colin Curtis — paired with “Uska Dara,” fusing swing and global rhythms.
Nicola Conte — ‘Terra Em Transe / Naquela Base’ 7″
(Far Out Recordings)
Renowned Italian “nu jazz” pioneer Nicola Conte drop a vinyl-only RSD 7inch, pairing the luminous, Milton Nascimento ‑ and Tamba 4‑inspired Brazilian jazz of “Terra Em Transe” with the modal hard‑bossa reinvention of João Donato’s dancefloor classic “Naquela Base.” Both are brand new tracks emerging from sessions for Conte’s highly-anticipated forthcoming album for Far Out Recordings.
Charles Tolliver All Stars – ‘Right Now…and Then’
(Strata-East / Mack Avenue Records)
Strata-East co-founder Charles Tolliver’s 1971 debut receives a proper reissue by Mack Avenue Records featuring new artwork. The 6-track recording blazes with forward-looking hard bop fire, with the trumpeter backed by a powerhouse band of Gary Bartz, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Joe Chambers. A vital Strata-East statement, it captures a young 26-year-old Tolliver fusing precision, intensity, and melodic daring into modern jazz.
Various — ‘Timeless Jazz Classics Vol.3’
Compiled by Gilles Peterson
(Music On Vinyl / Timeless Records)
For the third annual Record Store Day in a row, renowned DJ, producer, label owner, and broadcaster Gilles Peterson returns with his deep dive into the Dutch-based Timeless Jazz vaults for Vol. 3, a 2xLP on translucent yellow vinyl spotlighting Gary Bartz, Billy Higgins, Art Blakey, Nueva Manteca, Clint Houston, plus an exclusive Eastern Rebellion “Bolivia” live bonus cut.
Joe Henderson — ‘Consonance: Live at the Jazz Showcase’
(Resonance Records)
This unearthed live recording unveils the tenor titan’s 1978 Chicago set, performing alongside a stellar lineup featuring pianist Joanne Brackeen, bassist Steve Rodby, and drummer Danny Spencer, and brilliantly captures Henderson’s late-’70s inventiveness in spacious, hard-swinging form. This is also marks Resonance’s debut launch of releases from Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase archives.
KOKOROKO — ‘Live At Metropolis’
(Brownswood Recordings)
Fresh from their 2025 acclaimed album Tuff Times Never Last and a sold-out O2 Academy Brixton show, Kokoroko cut a raw, one-take Metropolis Studios session direct to vinyl, blending 80s Brit-funk, R&B, and West African disco across four tracks, including ‘Higher’ and a previously unreleased cover of ‘Express Your Love’.
Various — ‘Cuba 45 Boxset Curated by DJ KOCO’
(Mr Bongo Records)
Two years after his sold-out Mr Bongo Brazil 45 box set, DJ KOCO aka SHIMOKITA returns with a Cuba‑themed Record Store Day special, digging deep into the island’s rich styles for break-heavy, dancefloor‑ready cuts steeped in hip-hop sensibility and DJ‑focused energy.
Flying Lotus — ‘1983’
(Brainfeeder)
Twenty years on, Flying Lotus’ glitchy, jazz-soaked debut that helped define the LA beat scene returns: an RSD-exclusive 20th anniversary vinyl with Daddy Kev remaster, metallic embossed mirriboard sleeve, and exclusive colored wax. This album still ranks up their with some of FlyLo’s greatest productions.
Various — ‘The Catalyst Files Compiled By Rainer Trüby & Miche’
(Panorama)
Compiled by Rainer Trüby and Miche, this Panorama 2xLP release dives deep into Los Angeles’ Catalyst catalog of the late 70s, spotlighting some of the label’s most timeless selections, including Mark Levine’s “Ixtlán,” Hadley Caliman’s “The Latin Thing,” Gary Bartz’s “Ju Ju Man” and “My Funny Valentine,” and Flip Nuñez’s deep-cut groover “See You Later.”
Mark Murphy — ‘The 1966 Manchester Sessions – Live at Club 43’
(Jazz Rewind)
Vocal jazz legend Mark Murphy’s newly unearthed 1966 Club 43 recordings capture his pivotal British period, documenting an intimate Manchester club date at the heart of the UK jazz boom and issued now as a one-off, limited double LP for collectors and scat vocal devotees.
Various — ‘Bownswood Recordings: 20 Years Deep’
(Brownswood Recordings)
Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings celebrates two decades of boundary-pushing music with Twenty Years Deep compilation, a limited 3xLP highlighting the label’s vast array of groundbreaking artists and forward-focused vision through selections by Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, Owiny Sigoma Band, Shabaka and the Ancestors, Kokoroko, Yussef Dayes, Emma-Jean Thackray, and more.
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