A Century in Sound: A Listening Session in Support of the Documentary on Kickstarter

Not-so-well-known names, but worth listening to. Sessions to discover new emotions, colors, and sounds. Come with curiosity and open ears.

We play digital audio of the highest quality through our analog system: tube amplifiers and OJAS KO-R1 speakers. Designed by Devon Turnbull, the KO-R1 creates hyper-realistic and detailed, warm and natural soundscapes.

They generate absolute presence in the sound.

In our space designed for deep listening, you will discover hidden details, textures, and movements impossible to feel in headphones.

For almost a century, Tokyo has been home to ongaku kissa: cafés and bars devoted entirely to listening to music, with meticulously maintained sound systems and records played from beginning to end. Its director, Nick Dwyer, describes them as “movie theaters for music.” Across six episodes, the series visits these spaces, from classical music cafés to jazz cafés and newer listening bars, and even those that have sprung up outside Japan. Meet their owners and hear their stories, and trace a hundred years of the city through listening: a quiet portrait of places that exist as a refuge from noise, just like this one.

Listen to the selection curated for sona by Nick Dwyer, featuring sounds he discovered in kissas across Japan.

This session is in support of the documentary’s Kickstarter: proceeds will go toward the campaign, which aims to clear the series’ music licenses so it can be released around the world.

You can support it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/acenturyinsound/a-century-in-sound-the-art-of-listening

We select albums for their cultural relevance, emotional depth, rich textures, and technical detail—to ensure they sound their absolute best in our space.

no phones: anything that produces sound must be stored in our secure lockers.

no talk: we keep the soundroom silent so everyone can focus on the music.

no late entry: once the soundroom doors close (20 minutes after the booking time), we cannot let anyone in.