PEL Presents NEM#253: Synth-Scaper Richard Barbieri (Japan, Porcupine Tree)

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Mark Linsenmayer

Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 31 May 2026

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Richard played with art-rock band Japan from 1975 through their five albums, then continued to collaborate with members of that group, releasing several increasingly atmospheric albums as Jansen-Barbieri, Jansen-Barbieri-Karn, Rain Tree Crow, et al. He joined Porcupine Tree in 1995 and has played on their 20+ albums, and began putting out ambient solo releases in 2004 (perhaps seven albums' worth to this point) while continuing to collaborate.

We discuss "A New Simulation" from Hauntings (2026), "All Fall Down" from Stranger Inside (2008), and "Sleepers Awake" by Jansen-Barbieri from Stone to Flesh (1995). End song: "Waiting to Be Born" by Steve Hogarth and Richard Barbieri, recorded 2015 and released in 2023. Intro: "The Experience of Swimming" by Japan, from Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980). More at richardbarbieri.bandcamp.com.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Nakedly Examined Music, a podcast about songs and songwriters.
0:14.3	My name is Mark Lintonmeyer.
0:15.9	My guest for episode 252 is Richard Barbieri.
0:20.0	He started in the British art rock band Japan, joining them in
0:23.5	1975 and playing through all their five albums. You are right now hearing The Experience of Swimming,
0:29.5	recorded as a B-side and eventual bonus track for Japan's Gentleman Take Polaroids album in 1980.
0:36.0	He then continued in a duo with Japan drummer Steve Jansen,
0:40.2	releasing one pop album with him as Dolphin Brothers, but also then starting on a long-standing
0:45.6	relationship with Steve creating instrumental albums credited to Jansen Barbieri. So the first of those
0:51.4	was in 1985, then Japan briefly reformed as Rain Tree Crow. That was in
0:56.7	1991. And through the 90s, we get several more. Collaborations, three albums plus a live album as
1:03.5	Jansen Barbieri. Four releases as Jansen Barbieri Karn. That's with Mick Karn, the Japan bass player.
1:10.5	One as Jansen Barbieri Takamura, one with Tim
1:14.1	Bonus, the lead singer of No Man, one with his wife as Indigo Falls. In 1995, he joined the band
1:22.5	Porcupine Tree and has been on their 20-plus album since then. He's done session work for various related artists, and in 2004, he finally released his first
1:32.6	solo album under his own name, a second solo album in 2008, and then a steady stream of
1:38.0	releases totaling around five albums worth of material.
1:40.9	Today we'll be discussing a new simulation from his brand new album, Has, then all fall down from that second solo album 2008's Stranger Inside. Then we'll
1:50.7	look back to the Jansen Barbieri album Stone to Flesh from 1995 and listen to the song
1:56.1	Sleepers Awake. In the early teens, he recorded a couple albums with Steve Hogarth, that is the lead
2:02.2	singer of Marillion, and we'll conclude the podcast today by listening to the lead track on a three-song
2:08.5	EP attributed to Steve Hogarth and Richard Barbieri, recorded in 2015, just released in
	...

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