Ian (F) Martin
@ianfmartin.bsky.social
Writer and indie music scene person, based in Tokyo. Author of Quit Your Band! Musical Notes from the Japanese Underground (Awai Books, 2016) / バンドやめようぜ！ (Ele-king books, 2017) and owner of Call And Response Records.
Stuff that came home with me today. The Lush reissue was the whole reason I went out in the first place; the Helen Love was the happiest discovery; the Data album I’ve no idea about and just bought for the band name and artwork. If anyone wants to explain to me what mistake I just made, lemme know.
November 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Stuff that came home with me today. The Lush reissue was the whole reason I went out in the first place; the Helen Love was the happiest discovery; the Data album I’ve no idea about and just bought for the band name and artwork. If anyone wants to explain to me what mistake I just made, lemme know.
Love to have post waiting for me when I get home!
November 19, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Love to have post waiting for me when I get home!
Might be all the Bristol in me but one of those skies just sets off a chain reaction of sounds in my head.
November 16, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Might be all the Bristol in me but one of those skies just sets off a chain reaction of sounds in my head.
I live in a dangerous neighbourhood. Took a stroll to the shop to get something for dinner and accidentally spent £20 on all this (and dinner: I didn’t forget dinner).
November 15, 2025 at 1:03 PM
I live in a dangerous neighbourhood. Took a stroll to the shop to get something for dinner and accidentally spent £20 on all this (and dinner: I didn’t forget dinner).
Though favourite more for the album than the toy tbh.
November 14, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Though favourite more for the album than the toy tbh.
Can’t figure out if this brain is vacant or surrendering.
Also can’t help reading it in a Chris Morris voice.
Also can’t help reading it in a Chris Morris voice.
October 14, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Can’t figure out if this brain is vacant or surrendering.
Also can’t help reading it in a Chris Morris voice.
Also can’t help reading it in a Chris Morris voice.
I haven’t read this and I won’t, but I assume the figures they’re citing here are fantastical bullshit.
My main issue here, though, is that they ran with that accompanying image rather than this one:
My main issue here, though, is that they ran with that accompanying image rather than this one:
October 3, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I haven’t read this and I won’t, but I assume the figures they’re citing here are fantastical bullshit.
My main issue here, though, is that they ran with that accompanying image rather than this one:
My main issue here, though, is that they ran with that accompanying image rather than this one:
Learned recently that the book ahead of mine in my publisher’s schedule is a biography of Adachi Masao, which is a very cool thing to be being delayed by. And on that topic, here’s a related picture:
September 11, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Learned recently that the book ahead of mine in my publisher’s schedule is a biography of Adachi Masao, which is a very cool thing to be being delayed by. And on that topic, here’s a related picture:
Goddamn Scottish fuzz-pop just did this to my speaker.
September 10, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Goddamn Scottish fuzz-pop just did this to my speaker.
Today's DJ sets went hard jangle pop, inspired in part by recent ambiently received posting by @robertdallasgray.com
One dude at the show took me aside at the end and said "Did you just play two Bangles songs?" and I was proud to be able to say, "One of them was a pre-Bangles 'Bangs' track, so no?"
One dude at the show took me aside at the end and said "Did you just play two Bangles songs?" and I was proud to be able to say, "One of them was a pre-Bangles 'Bangs' track, so no?"
August 29, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Today's DJ sets went hard jangle pop, inspired in part by recent ambiently received posting by @robertdallasgray.com
One dude at the show took me aside at the end and said "Did you just play two Bangles songs?" and I was proud to be able to say, "One of them was a pre-Bangles 'Bangs' track, so no?"
One dude at the show took me aside at the end and said "Did you just play two Bangles songs?" and I was proud to be able to say, "One of them was a pre-Bangles 'Bangs' track, so no?"
Pic.1: After 2 minutes doomscrolling on Bluesky.
Pic.2: As the sun goes down over the neighbourhood and the lights begin to come on in the twilight city.
Pic.2: As the sun goes down over the neighbourhood and the lights begin to come on in the twilight city.
August 26, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Pic.1: After 2 minutes doomscrolling on Bluesky.
Pic.2: As the sun goes down over the neighbourhood and the lights begin to come on in the twilight city.
Pic.2: As the sun goes down over the neighbourhood and the lights begin to come on in the twilight city.
Packing my stuff before braving the disgusting heat to do a short afternoon DJ set in Shibuya and then hopefully rush back to Koenji in time to catch most of Awaodori.
August 23, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Packing my stuff before braving the disgusting heat to do a short afternoon DJ set in Shibuya and then hopefully rush back to Koenji in time to catch most of Awaodori.
Been appreciating this fine, handcrafted wedding gift that one of the best friends I’ll ever have created for my wife and I on the occasion of our wedding many years ago.
August 21, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Been appreciating this fine, handcrafted wedding gift that one of the best friends I’ll ever have created for my wife and I on the occasion of our wedding many years ago.
Finished reorganising and labelling my record collection. At least in a way that makes sense for how I use it.
August 1, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Finished reorganising and labelling my record collection. At least in a way that makes sense for how I use it.
Here's the league table of all the artist t-shirts that I saw more than one of at Fuji Rock this year, plus the full data of absolutely all the t-shirts spotted.
I started tracking this stuff for a laugh but it kind of swallowed me and I do realise it makes me look quite insane.
I started tracking this stuff for a laugh but it kind of swallowed me and I do realise it makes me look quite insane.
July 28, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Here's the league table of all the artist t-shirts that I saw more than one of at Fuji Rock this year, plus the full data of absolutely all the t-shirts spotted.
I started tracking this stuff for a laugh but it kind of swallowed me and I do realise it makes me look quite insane.
I started tracking this stuff for a laugh but it kind of swallowed me and I do realise it makes me look quite insane.
Bringing my t-shirt A game to the Fuji Rock final day.
July 27, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Bringing my t-shirt A game to the Fuji Rock final day.
Photo for (shabby) evidence:
July 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Photo for (shabby) evidence:
Finally got my act together and finished writing, designing and photocopying my zine of last year’s Japanese indie stuff I found interesting. Will put them on sale via the label’s Bandcamp page soon or when I can be bothered. Just going to bask in having achieved a goal for a while first though.
June 20, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Finally got my act together and finished writing, designing and photocopying my zine of last year’s Japanese indie stuff I found interesting. Will put them on sale via the label’s Bandcamp page soon or when I can be bothered. Just going to bask in having achieved a goal for a while first though.
Some of y’all can’t handle 2 high-agency males going at it and it really shows
June 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Some of y’all can’t handle 2 high-agency males going at it and it really shows
Mentoring the youth:
May 11, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Mentoring the youth:
DJ set from the other night at the new Straight Line event at Uptown Records. Brought the Wire album just in case no one else played the actual song Straight Line and luckily got the chance. The cops showed up to tell us to cut it out about 30 seconds after I finished.
May 6, 2025 at 2:23 AM
DJ set from the other night at the new Straight Line event at Uptown Records. Brought the Wire album just in case no one else played the actual song Straight Line and luckily got the chance. The cops showed up to tell us to cut it out about 30 seconds after I finished.