Ciclismo – Blue and Grey: An Incomplete History of British Rail

Courier

The latest release from the ever reliable Courier is a real trip down memory lane for people of a certain age. The cover image shows a handle from a slam-door carriage of vintage British Rail rolling stock, which perhaps goes some way to showing how Ciclismo has set out his stall. But with titles like “HST Exeter To Newton Abbot 1990” and “Class 37 Highland Sleeper 1992”, Blue and Grey: An Incomplete History of British Rail clearly is music as memory, a synthesis of historic personal images captured as electronic sound.

There is always rhythmic movement here, but not always as you might expect. Not everything sounds like a train running down a track, and that is a good thing; but you also recognise other elements that make up a train journey, even if it is the sound of bridges passing or the creak of seats. “HST Exeter To Newton Abbot 1990” somehow captures the attractive loneliness of the Devon countryside. It is gentle and relaxed, with just a hint of movement in the background. The keyboard notes hang like clouds seen through the windows with hints of puffy organ joining in.

The pieces can feel jaunty, as in the slow motion “Class 50 Waterloo To Exeter 1989”, with deeper bass notes denoting a longer journey and the sense of excitement of escaping the capital and heading into the relative wilds, while “Liverpool Street Station As It Was In The Early 80s” is subdued, its sense of loss captured in the diminishing notes and off-key tones. It feels so much like trying to hold a snapshot in sound form, and really it does seem to work.

There is a hint of DAF or Yello in the dated keyboard sounds and ’80s beatbox of “Class 87 Coventry To Euston 1986”, which feels a little more urgent — but there is something so English about the piano on “Slough 1985”. This album couldn’t have been made without a deep love of the country and its views sustained through a train window. I mean, this piece even makes Slough appear a desirable place to visit — although it obviously is if you are a fan of the Mars Bar.

“Last Class 302 Out Of Chalkwell” is more joyful than you might expect, but you can’t help smiling at the thought behind it all. It is reminiscent of some of what you might expect from Clay Pipe; something very English and polite but also dreamy and idiosyncratic. You don’t have to love trains to enjoy Blue and Grey and you don’t even have to love the countryside, but it does help. This is a charming and imaginative series of pieces and deserves a place in your heart.

-Mr Olivetti-