Balades Sonores, Paris. New location since my last visit, and much bigger now. One of my faves thanks to the deep electronic and jazz sections, the hard-to-find Japanese releases, and resident cats.

Future music from Germany.

Here we go…

Back from a week working and walking on the edge of Saddleworth. Nothing restores my positivity quite like spending time on the Pennine moors.

Chills, but especially from 1:40... www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bgh...

Following a year away, I'm back on @vpraudioclub.bsky.social The first of four seasonal shows planned for the year kicking off with this Spring edition 🌱 An eclectic selection of recent releases from the year so far, plus a 30 minute mix to reflect the season... www.mixcloud.com/vpraudioclub...

Finally getting around to documenting this trip. Fifteen packed days, so I’m splitting it into three posts — here’s the first. colly.com/journal/retu...

Another time-consuming but deeply rewarding home repair. I love this amp far too much to replace it, and there’s no excuse when there’s a detailed YouTube video of a Turkish chap repairing the very same 44-year-old Technics amp. I came close to despair with the input switches, but I bloody did it.

Saturday afternoon with Taeko Ohnuki’s Sunshower — a fave city pop treat and comfortingly toasty on tape.

One of the UK's very best bands and I won't hear otherwise.

One for fellow spoolers: WalkmanLand is a database of all 80s/90s portable cassette players (found via @simplebits.com's fine newsletter). My WM-22 still outperforms any modern alternatives and it's lovely to get this much detail. walkman.land/sony/wm-22

Good haul from this Tokyo trip — focused on classic 70s/80s city pop and YMO/Sakamoto, but couldn’t resist the 1978 Japan pressing of The Kick Inside, a 1985 Hounds of Love tape, and that Kid A obi. (See ALT text for details)

Returning a nonsite to its site.

Many Sakamoto moments on this trip. Watched the Tokyo Melody 4K restoration and also got up close with his Fairlight CMI. The highlight was an afternoon at Sakamoto Library (secret location, strictly no photos). Quietly reading a book that I know he cherished and finding his pen notes was moving.

Spent the day re-recording software piano parts on a lovely Yamaha YU-11 in a tiny Harajuku studio — then went record shopping.

Visited the ramen bar featured on the cover of Rod Modell & Taka Noda’s ambient masterpiece Glow World. (Hat tip to my old friend Patrick Lauke for sharing this location: Hakata Tenjin Ramen, Shinjuku.)

It’s been almost eight years (which is eight years too long) and I’m so excited to be back 🇯🇵

Fun update: I made an app over the holiday break! It’s called Unstream: Find your favorite music on alternative platforms, directly support the artists you love, and move off streaming. You can check it out here, at a URL I still find amusing: unstream.stream #indiemusic #musicsky #bandcamp

Bowie's passing really hit me a year later, at X Japan's Wembley Arena show, when rock guitarist Sugizo reappeared alone in the Earthling coat with a violin and this happened. Sat in the front row, I was overwhelmed by memories of my dad and how Bowie soundtracked our life, and I cried buckets.

Here’s my 22nd annual music roundup — bigger and more ridiculously obsessive than ever. colly.com/journal/twen...

✨ Stars of the Lid Forever (starsofthelidforever.com) Christmas update! I’ve just published 8 new shows, bringing our total to 25 🙌 Saint-Jean-Baptiste au Béguinage, Nottingham Contemporary St John-at-Hackney Le Poisson Rouge Les Voûtes, Paris St Giles in the Fields St Mary's Church Philadelphia

Thank you so much for all the support you've shown for this series throughout the year. Its meant a great deal. For the final edition. The series started with David Bowie. It was always going to end with him too. 52 Albums To Shape A Soul - Part 52 🖤⚡x lippykidmusic.substack.com/p/52-albums-...

A deep one for fellow fans... colly.com/journal/radi...

I never expected to see Akiko Yano play live, let alone briefly meet her and get an album signed. Good fortune to discover that the closing night of the London Jazz Festival at The Barbican was happening the day after Radiohead, so we stayed in London for it. She’s amazing.

Yet to come down from last night’s Radiohead gig. We were lucky to get codes and decided we’d stump for vip tickets if that’s all there was, and got front row. I’ve seen them several times, including Glasto ‘97, but last night was perfect, the entire band giving everything. Just… wow. Here’s Jonny…

I love this so much. Jon's side project is a wonderful example of what it means to really love music and how rewarding it is to be a fan.

Shocked about Mani. Forever grateful that my teens aligned with the rise of the Roses' in 1988-90, when the summers went on forever. Here's a love letter I wrote back in 2012. colly.com/journal/the-...

In 1992, an Estonian female choir made me a cassette of traditional Estonian songs. The tape has degraded over the years, but I was able to use a few fragments in 'Singing Revolution', a track specially created for @electronicsound.bsky.social Cold War Electronica edition and double CD. Out now.

As one that has captured field recordings only via an iPhone 12 mini and as recent, a Tascam DR-07X, I enjoyed this article.

'Blossoming Ache' a new three track EP released today over at criticalobjects.bandcamp.com The EP features the main track from the video and two remixes - one by Pinklogik and the other by me. youtu.be/h5ICUEnJ6SU?...

Archived a deep Q&A about how I use field recordings and why they mean so much to me. colly.com/journal/comp...

One of my fave live albums, a joyous snapshot of Tokyo 1979, when top artists often worked together. Yano's touring band often featured all three of YMO, Kazumi Watanabe, Minako Yoshida, even Tatsuro Yamashita. Kate Bush fans will appreciate Yano's style. driftrecords.com/products/aki...

I know I keep saying this, but I sincerely thank anyone who continues to take time in reading and sharing these posts. It means a great deal.... Continuing my blog with this - 25 years of Kid A 52 Albums To Shape A Soul - Part 42 🙏🖤x lippykidmusic.substack.com/p/52-albums-...

Calling any fans of Stars of the Lid out there: do you have any audio, video or photos from when you've seen them live? If so, please do get in touch! This is for a side project I’m doing that’s kind of related to a recent blog post: hicks.design/journal/star....

Remember Bent's beautiful Swollen, released 25 yrs ago? They've rerecorded it, and it's gorgeous. Wanted to share this because I've been friends with Millsy (one half of Bent) since junior school and he's mastered every Site Nonsite track and taught me so much about production. ffm.to/d7n2naa

My collaboration with Pinklogik, 'Critical Objects' is out today. Our debut EP 'REWIND' features a main track plus extended remixes from each of us. Bandcamp criticalobjects.bandcamp.com Instagram www.instagram.com/criticalobje... YouTube youtu.be/pPXNhpMCArc

Having a tape stock sale, from now until end of #BandcampFriday. I've found enough EP tapes to create five bundles — all four tapes (without maps or other extras) for £20 Reductions on everything else: Live at Delia’s £6, Remixed £5, Japan Series compilation £7 sitenonsite.bandcamp.com/merch

Having a tape stock sale, from now until end of #BandcampFriday. I've found enough EP tapes to create five bundles — all four tapes (without maps or other extras) for £20 Reductions on everything else: Live at Delia’s £6, Remixed £5, Japan Series compilation £7 sitenonsite.bandcamp.com/merch

Some waffle about the Yorke/Donwood exhibition, embracing a loose creative process, and why an album can be "good art". colly.com/journal/this...

The EPs @sitenonsite.com has created as memories of Japan are truly beautiful and often moving. This titled 'Hiroshima' is typical of the dedication he's given to the entire series and a poignant relection on a catastrophic moment in human history... bsky.app/profile/site...

I can’t imagine there’s anyone who hasn’t bought this wonderful EP, but just in case, now would be a patricularly good day to do it

Honoured that Tot/Onyx included Paper Cranes on their moving Hiroshima/Nagasaki mix (my first play on NTS). "Making this mix gave me time to reflect on the ongoing genocide and atrocities... It proved that sometimes music can tell stories better than the language." www.nts.live/shows/guests...

Today is #HiroshimaDay, marking 80 years since the devastating atomic bombing. My song Paper Cranes documents an emotional visit to the peace museum and an encounter with a survivor. Today and every Aug 6, I’ll donate any profits to a Hibakusha charity. sitenonsite.bandcamp.com/album/hirosh...

Notes and audio clips from a recent field recording session with Dr. Marcus Headley — revealing the hidden electromagnetic soundscape and capturing the audible world with greater clarity and intention. colly.com/journal/deep...

As always, thanks to anyone who's continuing to follow this series. I'm continuing with this... You can take the man out of Manchester, but never Manchester out of the man 🖤x 52 Albums To Shape A Soul : Part 29 lippykidmusic.substack.com/p/52-albums-...

Driven grouse shooting should be banned entirely and our uplands—drained and burned by the rich for grouse farming—returned to health. Decades of work have failed, so perhaps we should try licensing, but birds of prey will still be killed in appalling ways, and I'll likely never see a Hen Harrier.

Lost several hours to the new ’Your Ears Later Will Know to Listen’ exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary, which explores “how sound connects us with histories, places and identities”.

Closing in on something.