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 “ […]

Ever since this series began, I’ve always thought that if I were to write a column about cycling and music, I would eventually feature Kraftwerk’s “Tour de France” at just the right moment. With their live performance at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2024 now making waves, I feel that now is the perfect time to introduce it. Formed in 1970, the German electronic music group Kraftwerk, known for designing their own album covers and visual images, is a quintessential example of so-called Krautrock (German rock) and a pioneer of techno-pop. They greatly influenced not only YMO but also the British new wave scene, particularly the electro-pop/synth-pop movement known as New Romantic […]

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 […]