Simon Collison

Thanks, Andy. Yeah, I think I love the north as much as you love the south; I need to spend more time in Devon, always inspired by your adventures.

A few more days up North It’s becoming a habit that we head up North each Summer. This time we spent a few days in remote Northumberland, before heading to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Motherwell.

Notes from another short trip: remote landscapes, outdoor experiments, the art of light and space, exploring our universe, meeting owls and eagles, queuing for pâtisserie, and supporting amateur sumo. colly.com/journal/a-fe...

Deep listening: an afternoon of advanced sound discovery My recent session with a field recording expert was truly ear-opening. If you’re curious how Greenwich sounds through shotgun mics, hydrophones, electromagnets, anti-radios, bat detectors and binaural...

Notes and audio clips from a recent field recording session with Dr. Marcus Headley — revealing the hidden electromagnetic soundscape and capturing the audible world with greater clarity and intention. colly.com/journal/deep...

‘The place is bleached, a dead zone’: how the UK’s most beloved landscapes became biodiversity deserts National parks, famous for their rich natural heritage, should be at the heart of efforts to protect habitats and wildlife. Instead, experts say they are declining – fast

‘The place is bleached, a dead zone’: how the UK’s most beloved landscapes became biodiversity deserts

The Major Oak means a lot to us in Notts, and it was upsetting to see such poor leaf coverage (due largely to extreme heat and drought) earlier this month. Huge gratitude to the people working hard to relieve its stress and protect what's left of Sherwood Forest. markavery.info/2025/07/17/r...

Ah, wonderful! You'll love it.

Simon Collison | Journal | Camp france Notes tagged 'camp france'

I ran into the CAMP residency (“a place to think/work/create/live”) via @colly.com's journal and, after mulling it over for a while, decided to sign up for a week of my own in November. I aim to dedicate it to writing. Really looking forward.

colly.com/journal/tag:...

Protecting nature doesn’t stop us building.

The Planning Bill still threatens our most precious habitats. It’s now in the Lords - and it needs to change.

Read what happened in the debate 👇
www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Another week in Edale We returned to the tiny cottage in Barber Booth we’d enjoyed for a few days last summer. I’d intended a week of field work, but the weather had other ideas.

Another week in my favourite place. Wild weather, dizzying deep time, political landscapes, and soggy teens.
colly.com/journal/anot...

Expanded here: colly.com/journal/ingl...

Driven grouse shooting should be banned entirely and our uplands—drained and burned by the rich for grouse farming—returned to health. Decades of work have failed, so perhaps we should try licensing, but birds of prey will still be killed in appalling ways, and I'll likely never see a Hen Harrier.

Ten photos of various experimental arrangements on a green cutting mat. Most items are contained within a plain reel to reel box, and the item placeholders include reels, cassettes, unspooled tape, photos, notes, data sheets, and other things.

Closing in on something.

Monopoly of Bells play their first ever show in the main studio at Camp.

A cyclist tackles one of the many hairpins on Col d'Agnes.

Tascam DR-40 recording close to ferns and mosses.

Photo of a Saturday night improv jam in the main studio. The light is low so the four figures appear almost in silhouette. The nearest plays piano, one plays a wind instrument, others percussion.

My recent short residency at @campfr.bsky.social with other musicians and artists was a transformative experience, and the perfect start to this Summer's ACE-funded activity.

I preserved a little time each day to reflect and write; here's everything tagged Camp France. colly.com/journal/tag:...

Monopoly of Bells plays their first ever show in the main studio at Camp.

Seeing sound and feeling things: “Being at Camp has actually helped me shed any remaining feelings of inadequacy. I now feel like I too am a legitimate musician, with absolutely nothing to apologise for or doubt.” colly.com/journal/seei...

A cyclist tackles a hairpin on the Col d’Agnes.

I’m walking it back to the village. At least eight hairpins like this. Wow.

Paper map of the area around Coumebiere.

The peak of Pic de Carrots from Coumebiere.

One for my cycling pals: I just hiked (through the woods) to the top of the famed Col d’Agnes. So many here puffing their way up. Just look at those hairpins!

I always do a little rave hands gesture to that slogan because my 90s brain hears it as a faux-Mancunian "Top one, nice one, get sorted!"

Vinyl records from Djrum, with the new album Under Tangled Silence most prominent. It sits on a wooden speaker, with flowers and othert records nearby.

The new Djrum is utterly captivating.

…and HUGE congrats to you and Eva 😘🎉

A photo of Geri taken yesterday in Spitalfields, London. She's wearing a lovely dress, with a jacket draped around her shoulders; she's holding flowers and smiling.

Happy birthday, @gericoady.bsky.social ❤️

It's great — but the shop is torture.

The piano at Session Arts Club, London

My beer amber Nishiguchi Kutsushita socks at Session Arts Club.

Enjoyed lunch at Session Arts Club, but only thought to photograph the piano and my favourite socks.

The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests, at Japan House, London

Wood templates hang on the wall at The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests, at Japan House, London

Tatami room at The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests, at Japan House, London

Touch different forest woods at The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests, at Japan House, London

The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests, at Japan House, London

Field recording with a Tascam DR-40 and Akai mics on a footpath near Kinder Scout.

Close-up of Tascam Portastudio 414 and effects pedals on a mossy wall.

Lengths of magnetic tape ebbing in the shallow river.

Cream-colour cardboard tape reel box containing unspooled magnetic tape and a field notes card. A logo below shows that this work will be supported by Arts Council England using National Lottery funding.

Some good news: I’ve been awarded Arts Council England funding to expand my field skills and develop conceptual ideas. The highlight will be a short residency at @campfr.bsky.social in the Pyrenees. Then in autumn, I'll resume work on the album and other projects. LOTS to come 😊

2024 in music Here’s my 21st annual roundup. Despite pledging to reduce this obsessive cataloguing, I continue to go all in because exceptional new music just keeps on coming.

Here’s my 21st exhaustive (and exhausting) Year in Music roundup. colly.com/journal/twen...

Yeah, I read a couple of great reviews about the Coop shows. Aren't we lucky 😀

Paul McCartney A remarkable journey through an extraordinary life, with an overwhelming emotional connection that brought me to tears. Oh, and Ringo joined him on Helter Skelter.

A few thoughts on why this show meant so much... colly.com/journal/paul...

On a high from Paul McCartney last night. I’ve no idea how he does it. Utterly overwhelming on an emotional level with all that history, and songs that link to my childhood bringing me to tears. Oh, and Ringo joined him on Helter Skelter. Wow.

Site Nonsite's The Japan Series on cassette. Photo shows the inlay card and clear shell cassette on a white background.

Site Nonsite's Live at Delia's Third Happening on cassette. Photo shows several cassettes on a white background.

Site Nonsite's Remixed on cassette. Photo shows the inlay card and clear shell cassette on a white background.

All seven of Site Nonsite's cassettes photographed against a white background.

Seasonal sale: I've dropped prices up to 40% on Japan Series, Remixed and Live albums — downloads and tapes sitenonsite.bandcamp.com/music

Vinyl copy of the new Cure album.

Vinyl albums on a shelf, mostly from The Cure discography.

I’ve waited a long time to contribute something to @hellogeri.bsky.social’s excellent Cure collection.