Elis James and John Robins #525 - Lostalgia, Fornication Nation and Narberth to Nefyn Nude
Mar 24, 2026
They invent a new emotion called "lostalgia" while unpacking how music and smell drag us through time. A magic alarm clock thought experiment forces tradeoffs between perfect sleep and real life. Absurd TV and stunt pitches lead to a wildly improbable naked-airdrop idea. A rapid-fire Cymru connecting challenge shows off uncanny social links. A made-up music bluffing game ends in ridiculous fake song titles.
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Elis's Midi Week Story
- Elis describes a busy week: hosting a school quiz (accepted a £3,000 donation), dreaming of a mock Old Bailey broadcasting sacking, and performing at ABC Kennington where tea-towel material saved him.
- The school quiz chequing, a surreal Adrian Childs emergency tape moment, and a heckler prompting 15-year-old tea-towel jokes make the week feel hectic but redeeming.
Lostalgia As A New Feeling About Time
- John experiences a complex emotion when a Van Morrison album made him cry that wasn't sadness or nostalgia; he names it 'lostalgia' to capture awareness of distinct past 'thens' and the present.
- He links the feeling to sensory triggers (music, smells) and the unsettling but powerful sense that time contains discrete, meaningful chapters.
Recorded Media Anchors Past Selves
- The hosts note recorded media makes past moments fixed while we change, so revisiting an album evokes a stable artifact contrasted with a changed self.
- John and Elis discuss how recorded songs or smells can instantly transport you to specific personal moments like 2005.