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It was a funny time. It always is, I suppose. In and out of the loop. Inside and outside of the loops. May you live in interesting times. This is a zip file of a period of interesting time mainly concerned with 2002. I was 25. An amber and brown year for me… with soft white shadows. First year in the city, too. A transitory phase. A walk in the gardens in the warmth of early spring. Botanical Sectors. Bus rides and eggplant girl recipes. Hit the north!

I was reading about Nico's last scene in "Songs They Never Play On The Radio" later that year, or maybe early 2003… based in the same city. I treat it as a cautionary (John) Cale. Lynskey and I melted the book into "Nico's Needles" which sounds like a 4am bio-moth just a skip away from the breezy sky blue "Digital Dragonfly" the oldest track here from September 10th 2001…

"It will be cold again… it will be warm again" became a bit of a mantra.

I'm a defeated optimist like everybody else. Man plans, God laughs. The sea claims twice in pain the joy it bestows. A thousand old proverbs. Mishima’s sailor who fell from grace with the waves. Hibernate and carry on…

Some songs were found in translation to software. A bit longer than I write these days. 2mins 40sex is the best length for a pop record, I think, so feel free to make yr own edits. The centerpiece to the album is "39 Gentle Drive, Singapore" a very late summer twilight stroll with owl hoots. Wickerman style! It's sister track, "There Is Such A Place"… can be found as a hidden extra at the end of the CD. I wanted that to smell like grass after the rain in the grounds of an old house. Pretty much pure Shirokuma as far as the songy side of things go.

NME sweetly referred to me as "Manga Folktronica" or something the other week. I think that has to do with the influence of older Japanese pop artists like Pizzicato 5, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Pink Lady on aspects of my sound. "Spraypaint!" and "Town Of Snowy Loops" are the poppiest things here that have some of that in evidence. Certain tunes later on in the album contain interpolations of tones from old game music. I know a lot of people do that these days…I suppose that's because if you are of a certain age and disposition then there is a strange warmth and emotive quality to their innocent chirpiness.

Anyway, there is other stuff besides… It's an organic archive so dip inside. I'm on a psyche-folk pop thing at the moment. Very short songs, maximum engagement. "Secret Moves At The Midnight Chess Club" was my second phase. Phase six to come…