Music Cycles Around The World
#04 Melbourne
Lance Ferguson feat. Rita Satch “My Future”

This ongoing column, Music Cycles Around The World, is themed around “cities and music”, inviting readers to imagine travelling the world by bicycle through sound. This time, inspired by Ehime Prefecture’s recent efforts to promote international cycle tourism—having just hosted a cycling familiarisation tour for Australian cyclists—and by the fact that the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest and toughest MTB race, the Whaka 100, has just taken place in New Zealand, I would like to introduce a work by Lance Ferguson. Born in New Zealand and now based in Melbourne, he is a distinguished producer and widely known as the leader of the acclaimed Aussie funk band The Bamboos.

Coincidentally, Tru Thoughts, the legendary UK label, has just released Rare Groove Spectrum, Vol. 3, the third album in his popular series that began in 2019—an album which includes a superb cover of one of my all-time favourite songs. The Rare Groove Spectrum series has always offered a sharp blend of Lance Ferguson’s aesthetic sensibility—shaped by his long career as a DJ and record-digger within club culture—and the rich, organic performances of his live band. The vivid “reinterpretations” of timeless and hidden gems from genres such as funk, soul, jazz, and Latin are consistently brilliant.
Among them, the track that has captivated me ever since its early preview is his wonderful remake—not merely a nostalgic throwback—of My Future, the 2020 hit by Billie Eilish, who can fairly be described as a defining pop icon of the present era. I have long cherished the original version, a song that stirs the heart and cleanses the soul, and have played the 7-inch picture-animation single heavily. But this Lance Ferguson version, featuring Australian vocalist Rita Satch, looks set to become a firm favourite in my DJ sets as well.
It is a quintessential Free Soul tune—imbued with an irresistibly breezy feeling and an exceptionally smooth groove. I’m certain its sheer comfort and uplifting flow will pair beautifully with open-air cycling.

Lance Ferguson feat. Rita Satch「My Future」
https://youtu.be/F7qXDf84nfQ?si=SO8T6-vHNrJMJI3C



♬Music Cycles Around The World STORAGE♬
#01 3rd Bass “Brooklyn-Queens”
#02 Catia “Saudade de Paris”
#03 Macky Feary Band “Macky Feary Band”
#04 Lance Ferguson feat. Rita Satch “My Future”

♬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 #03
Corinne Bailey Rae
“Put Your Records On”

Alongside “My Ever Changing Moods” by The Style Council, which I introduced in the first installment of this column two months ago, one of the most memorable music videos featuring cycling that comes to mind is “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae, the singer-songwriter born in Leeds, UK, in 1979. I can’t forget the fresh excitement I felt the first time I watched this music video. It was reminiscent of the bittersweet feeling I experienced when I watched early short films by François Truffaut (his films often feature memorable bicycle scenes) during my younger days.

#Column #Music
CULTURE
CYCLE MUSIC #14
RM
“Bicycle”

The column series “CYCLE MUSIC” introduces a little bicycle-related music each time. This time, I’d like to write about the solo track “Bicycle” by RM, the leader of the hugely popular South Korean group BTS, who is also a hip-hop MC, singer-songwriter, and producer. I’m sure many people know far more about BTS than I do, and I feel quite apologetic for not being very familiar with them. That said, I was deeply moved by this song, which was released as part of the “2021 BTS FESTA”. The track has a laid-back groove led by beautiful guitar cutting—something I’d even recommend to Free Soul fans. It carries a slightly melancholic and sentimental melody. The chorus refrain […]

#Bicycle #RM
CULTURE
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 Ric […]

#3rd Bass #yua