This morning I woke to the deeply sad news that Nick Williams, founder of Meda Fury Records and the long-standing friendly face behind London’s iconic Phonica Records, passed away on Sunday 21 December after battling cancer since March.
Nick spent 18 years behind the counter at Phonica, becoming one of the most generous, knowledgeable and instinctively gifted record store operators you could hope to meet. When I first walked into the shop in 2009, he was the person who served me – pulling out Omar-S 002 and Levon Vincent The Medium Is The Message. In hindsight, those selections say everything about his ability to instinctively connect people with records that felt immediately personal.
With his signature long hair and easy warmth, Nick became a cornerstone at Phonica – someone whose presence shaped the room as much as the records themselves. He spoke about music with care and curiosity, giving his time freely, and guiding customers towards discoveries that felt personal and lasting. His recommendations were never performative, only thoughtful, measured, and offered with genuine intent.
In 2014, Nick was invited by R&S Records to launch a new house-focused sub-label, Meda Fury. Through it, he released music by artists including Hazylujah, Takuya Matsumoto, Damon Bell, OL, Pearl River Sound, DJ Seinfeld, Ryota OPP, Lady Blacktronika, Sad City, Rimbaudian, Eliphino, Silvestre, Pletnev and Alleged Witches – building a catalogue defined by curiosity, restraint and trust in instinct rather than trends.
Having built a strong rapport over the years, I interviewed Nick in Soho Square about the Origins of Meda Fury – a feature you can still read today. As Inverted Audio developed, so too did my passion for buying records and performing them out, and throughout that time Nick remained the person I trusted most behind the counter at Phonica.
In 2017, I booked Meda Fury – affiliated artist Sad City – the production alias of Scottish producer Gary Caruth – whose exquisite releases on the label included Shapes In Formation (2018), a collaboration between Emotional Response and Meda Fury. That same year, I also booked Lindsay Todd of Firecracker Recordings (House Of Traps). A photograph below captures his wife Liz, Gary, Lindsay and Nick together – an image that speaks quietly to the closeness of that moment.
In 2018, Nick delivered an unforgettable DJ set at the Inverted Audio-curated stage Campfire Headphase at Farr Festival, playing alongside Workshop Records co-founder Evan Tuell, Rezzett (Tapes and Lukid), Terekke and Natureboy Flako.
Looking back now, as a record store owner and curator myself, I can see just how deeply Nick’s attitude towards music has shaped the way I engage with customers. His passion was infectious and impossible to ignore. Nick was a head for the real heads – quietly influential, deeply respected, and never seeking the spotlight. His impact will endure.
I, along with the team at Inverted Audio, would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nick’s family and his wife Liz at this incredibly difficult time. Nick was a true gentleman, and he will be profoundly missed. Rest in peace, Nick.
