Vocaloid producer Kikuo has spent the last two years traversing the globe, and he's using that experience to reflect on how travel and music are inseparable.

Kikuo, who launched his first U.S. tour in 2024 as a vocaloid producer, has since expanded into a full world tour that's taken him through 22 countries and 53 cities. In a new essay series for Natalie Music, he explores the emotional weight of travel experiences through the soundtrack that accompanies them.

The essay is deeply personal. Kikuo recalls his first American tour—cramped in an aging van with minimal air conditioning, driving 10 hours a day for a month—where a tour manager's impeccable playlist introduced him to Scritti Politti's "Perfect Way." That single song became his most-played track on Spotify in 2024, forever tied to the memory of crossing America's vast landscapes.

Beyond international tours, Kikuo reflects on domestic journeys too. He describes a festival trip with close friends to see Venetian Snares, traveling 10 hours through rain to reach a psychedelic festival in rural Kyoto. Another memory centers on a friend's cherished track, mizuirono_inu's "YOUTH," which became the soundtrack to that stormy journey.

One of his most intimate memories involves having vocaloid artist bo en visit his home in the mountains. During that visit, he coaxed bo en into an impromptu performance of "My Time" on a small MIDI keyboard—a moment Kikuo says he'll treasure forever. Even mundane travel, like waiting three hours in a hospital before eye surgery, was transformed by listening to tama's "夏の前日" (Summer's Eve), performed on ukulele.

Kikuo's essay comes with a curated five-song playlist selected specifically for travel listening. The collection spans genre and era—from '80s post-punk to acid techno to J-pop—capturing the idea that the right song at the right moment can crystallize a travel memory for life.

As someone who's spent recent years in constant motion, Kikuo's reflections remind fans that tours aren't just about performances. They're about the unexpected songs heard in vans, festivals, and quiet moments that stick with you long after the journey ends.