Music Cycles Around The World
#01 New York
3rd Bass “Brooklyn-Queens”

After 15 instalments, my column CYCLE MUSIC, where I’ve written about cycling and the music I love, has come to an end.
Starting from this issue, I’m launching a new series titled Music Cycles Around The World. With the theme of “cities and music”, the idea is to explore the world through both cycling and sound.

We begin with New York, where the Five Boro Bike Tour—a ride event that takes in all five boroughs including Brooklyn and Queens—is scheduled for 4th May. The title speaks for itself, so let’s kick things off with “Brooklyn-Queens” by 3rd Bass.

3rd Bass were a mixed-race hip-hop trio formed in Queens in 1987, made up of MC Serch, Prime Minister Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich. Before disbanding in 1992, they released two full-length albums and a handful of memorable singles. They’re also considered legendary for their early connections with a young MF Doom and Nas.

Their debut album The Cactus Album, released in 1989 on the iconic hip-hop label Def Jam, is regarded as a classic of the so-called “middle school” era. At the time, I was captivated by the fresh, vibrant sound of the emerging “new school”, especially De La Soul’s debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. That record’s colourful sonic palette was shaped by producer Prince Paul—who also brought his brilliantly eclectic sampling style to The Cactus Album, making it shine just as brightly.

“Brooklyn-Queens” was also released the following year, in 1990, as a vibrant 12-inch single featuring a remix by C.J. Mackintosh. This groovy track transcended genres, winning fans across the board. Driven by a breezy sway beat sampled from The Emotions’ classic “Best Of My Love”, it became a firm favourite among Free Soul fans—a proper floor-filler and an irresistible party tune.
I didn’t just spin it heavily in my DJ sets—it also made its way onto the compilation CD Ultimate Free Soul 90s, and I reissued it as a split 7-inch single alongside Nice & Smooth’s “Cake & Eat It Too”. It’s one of those tracks that sounds absolutely brilliant pumping through your headphones while cruising on a road bike—pure joy on wheels!

3rd Bass “Brooklyn-Queens”
https://youtu.be/5mJlcW3X4PQ?si=1ScFs8Xd-hpHvdrh

♬Music Cycles Around The World STORAGE♬
#01 3rd Bass “Brooklyn-Queens”
#02 Catia “Saudade de Paris”
#03 Macky Feary Band “Macky Feary Band”

♬CYCLE MUSIC STORAGE♬
#01 The Style Council “My Ever Changing Moods”
#02 Cordelia “Play Pretend”
#03 Corinne Bailey Rae “Put Your Records On”
#04 Georgie Fame ”Happiness”
#05 Alulu Paranhos “Bicicletinha”
#06 Motoharu Sano “Angelina”
#07 B.J. Thomas “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”
#08 The Smiths “This Charming Man”
#09 Dominic Miller “Bicycle”
#10 NewJeans “Bubble Gum”
#11 Tank and the Bangas “Smoke.Netflix.Chill.”
#12 Kraftwerk “Tour de France”
#13 Livingston Taylor “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”
#14 RM “Bicycle”
#15 Norah Jones “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)”


Profile

Toru Hashimoto (SUBURBIA)
Editor / Music Selector / DJ / Producer. Founder of Suburbia Factory. Owner of Shibuya’s “Cafe Apres-midi” and “Apres-midi Selecao.” Over 350 compilation CDs, including series like ‘Free Soul,’ ‘Mellow Beats,’ ‘Cafe Apres-midi,’ ‘Jazz Supreme,’ ‘Music With A View,’ and many others, have been curated, making him the world’s foremost selector. He oversees and produces music broadcast channels “usen for Cafe Apres-midi” and “usen for Free Soul” on USEN, wielding significant influence in Japanese music scene since the 1990s. In recent years, his ‘Good Mellows’ series with a focus on mellow chillout has gained great popularity both domestically and internationally.

Art Work_yua

CULTURE
CYCLE MUSIC #10
NewJeans
“Bubble Gum”

On April 27th, the editorial and artwork production team of this column, along with their friends, as well as the staff of “Global Ride,” including designers and translators, gathered at my cafe, Cafe Apres-midi, in Shibuya for a DJ party. It was a great turnout and we had a really enjoyable time. I was looking forward to what to play that day and had selected several records since morning. However, by chance, I watched the music video for NewJeans’ new song “Bubble Gum,” which was released at midnight on April 27th, based on a friend’s recommendation. There was a scene of riding a bicycle, combined with the goodness of the song, and I was thrilled all day […]

#NewJeans
CULTURE
CYCLE MUSIC #09
Dominic Miller
“Bicycle”

Monthly column “CYCLE MUSIC” where essays on bicycles and music are written every time. This time, let’s introduce a song called “Bicycle” by the renowned guitarist Dominic Miller. Born in Argentina to an American father and an Irish mother, Dominic Miller has long been hailed by the media as a “great and gentle storyteller.” Based in London for many years, he now resides in the South of France. However, he is perhaps best known for his illustrious career as Sting’s right-hand man. Sting has praised him as a “colourful architect of sound,” while Paul Simon, with whom he has also collaborated, has lauded his guitar playing as “ […]

#SUBURBIA
CULTURE
Music Cycles Around The World
#03 Hawaii
Macky Feary Band “Macky Feary Band”

In our new series Music Cycles Around The World, inspired by the idea of travelling the globe with a bicycle and a soundtrack, we explore the theme of “cities and music”. This is the third instalment. This time, in connection with the Honolulu Century Ride – held every year on the fourth Sunday in September and regarded as Hawaii’s second-biggest sporting event after the Honolulu Marathon, with many riders travelling from Japan to take part – I’ll be writing about some of my favourite music from Hawaii (though not the traditional Hawaiian kind). The first thing that sprang to mind was the Macky Feary Band’s self-titled debut album from 1978 – a record I still treasure. Over thirty summers ag […]

#Hawaii #Column