In this second instalment of our new series Music Cycles Around The World, themed around “cities and music” and inspired by the idea of travelling the world through music on two wheels, we turn our attention to France — in celebration of the 2025 Tour de France, which kicks off on 5 July from the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Though it’s been nearly 20 years since my last visit, I travelled to France many times throughout the 1990s and 2000s. My first trip to Paris was 33 years ago, when I spent every waking hour scouring the city for records — especially French cinema soundtracks. That trip played a key role in inspiring me to open my own shop, Café Après-midi. Later, in early summer 1999, I ret […]

The “CYCLE MUSIC” series, where I’ve shared brief columns about bicycles and my favourite music, reaches its 15th instalment, marking a natural break. From the next issue, it will be reborn under the title “Music Cycles Around The World”, with a focus on “city music,” inspired by the idea of travelling the world through both music and cycling. While I had originally intended to recommend this masterpiece back in December, symbolising the “perfect harmony between bicycles and music,” I missed the opportunity. So, as a fitting conclusion, allow me to introduce it now. It’s Norah Jones’ “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones).&#82 […]

Happy New Year! To kick off 2024 with the first ‘CYCLE MUSIC,’ let’s introduce a song by a Japanese artist that represents a cornerstone of my life as a music lover, which is fitting for the start of a new year. It’s ‘Angelina’ by Motoharu Sano, a song that marked the beginning of the 1980s and my youth.