Under Neon Loneliness
A monolithic audio/visual immersive experience.
Contained inside a vertical matte black 20ft shipping container were a series of light box and neon signs, with the reflections bouncing off the black mirrored walls to create the illusion of the signs rising up infinitely. Inspired by many a lonely night in Tokyo, the concept was to recreate a feeling of being alone in a totally foreign environment. The sense of being surrounded by people, traffic and hundreds of neon signs in one of the busiest, most exciting cities in the world, whilst also experiencing the feeling of undeniable loneliness.
The title is taken from the classic Manic Street Preachers single from 1992, ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, and also the Patrick Jones poem of the same name.
The signs also feature James’ friends and collaborators from Japan, including the world famous architects and interior designers, Wonderwall®, the legendary clothing brand Mountain Research, alongside Scye, Cow Books, RFW, To&Co and Norman Wakabayashi.
James has also created an audio sound-scape featuring field recordings from Tokyo at night. This is the first time he has worked with audio. The track was mixed by long term collaborator, Cian Ciarán, (Super Furry Animals, Das Koolies).
‘Under Neon Loneliness’ was on display in Central Square, Cardiff from 12th of October through to 3rd November 2024 as part of the Cardiff Music City Festival, and attracted over 16,500 visitors over three weeks.
Photography by Mary Wycherley @Two Cats In The Yard
