Latest episodes
One night on one train, with a track list and the time it takes to hear.
48:00Nov 5 · 48:00
Berth 14, Tokyo to Izumo
One whole night from Tokyo to the Sea of Japan coast: the corridor at two in the morning and the first announcement at dawn.
31:00Nov 4 · 31:00
Rain on the Glass
Twenty-nine minutes of a wet night, with the carriage heater, the drops and a town sliding past.
44:00Nov 3 · 44:00
The Conductor’s Pocket Watch
A retired conductor shows me the watch he checked at every station for thirty-one years.
27:00Nov 2 · 27:00
Wires at Dusk
The hum of overhead wires as the light goes, and why a quiet suburb sounds different from a city.
- 52:00
Nov 1 · 52:00
Vienna to Venice, Overnight
Three countries, one sleeper car, and the border stop at three in the morning.
38:00Oct 24 · 38:00
A Microphone in the Closet
How I record the voice parts in a futon closet lined with blankets, and why it works.
33:00Oct 17 · 33:00
One Metre from the Rail
Where to stand, how to hold the recorder, and what a passing express does to your levels.
29:00Oct 10 · 29:00
First Train Out
The first local of the day leaves a wet platform, and the station slowly wakes up around it.
- 36:00
Oct 3 · 36:00
Bento at Five in the Morning
A platform seller tells me what people buy before the first train and what they never do.
25:00Sep 26 · 25:00
Logging a Night
The notes I keep on every overnight trip, hour by hour, and how they become an episode.
Newsletter
Sleeper Notes
A short letter every other Thursday with each new episode: the route, one sound to listen for, and what I heard on the way.