(((O))) : Hidden Currents: Rail Cables

A few weeks ago Gavin from worriedaboutsatan got in touch to say they had done a mix for a project called Rail Cables. A quick glance at the Rail Cables Bandcamp page reveals that they make “seasonal compilations featuring new music inspired by train travel” and that tweaked our interest even further so we asked Stuart, the main man behind the project, what it was all about.”The earliest known composition of any music inspired by train travel dates back to the late 1820s, a few years before the first public commercial railway was opened in the USA. Since then trains and train travel have been a constant form of inspiration for composers of every genre. Whether it be in the lyrical content, Blues musicians likening the movement of the trains to the passing of time, or classical composers using the rhythms of the trains as a starting point for their pieces.We are fortunate to be living in a time where we can still enjoy these rail tracks the same way some of these pioneering musicians enjoyed them. Maybe a few generations down the line they will be completely electric and will only make a smooth ‘swooosh’ sound as they pass by…Over the past year I started asking some of my favourite musicians if they would be up for creating some new music inspired by train travel. The way pretty much all the musicians got the idea of it without me having to explain suggested to me that there really is still some magical romance between musicians and train travel.I called the series ‘Rail Cables’. The reason being, when I came up with the idea for this project I was staring sleepily at the rail cables dance down the country to the music of drummer Greg Fox. They were dipping and diving in the most interesting times with his music. From a purely visual point of view too, there is something quite brutal about the harsh man made black wires set against the beautiful blues of the sky.

RCMIX9 – worriedaboutsatan by Railcables on Mixcloud

Each compilation features 4 musicians / bands and are released digitally and as 2XLP vinyl. This way each musician gets 1 side of a record to fill with their music. They are released seasonally. Its been thrilling to hear how the musicians involved so far have interpreted the feeling of the seasons in their music.

The Winter Selection, which featured music from Scanner, Dru$s (Paddy from Gnod), Ran Slavin and Greg Fox (drummer with Liturgy, Guardian Alien and live drummer for Ben Frost) felt dark and industrial. The art studio DR ME created the most perfect sleeve for this too, a black and white collaged tunnel with a rail road disappearing into the centre.

The Spring Selection featured new music from Benoit Pioulard, Symbol (Chris from This Will Destroy You) and Dead Voices On Air (Mark, ex-Zoviet*France) as well as some music originally released 20 years ago on Andrew Weatherall’s SabreSongs label. Some music by Being. When I had worked in a record store years ago I had heard this strange album and it had blown my mind. It always felt perfect on a train when the sun was shining. So when this idea came about, I knew it would make sense to try to feature these tracks. The Spring selection is the sun rising in the series.

The Summer Selection is set to feature new music from This Is The Kit, Grey Tapes, Altars Altars and Jo Gillot. Other musicians set to contribute include Adam Betts of Three Trapped Tigers, computer game composer Ben Babbitt, and the mighty worriedaboutsatan.

I’ve been asking the musicians if they would be up for sharing mixes of their favourite music too for an ongoing sporadic mix series. So far there has been some amazing selections, and worriedaboutsatan are the latest to feature.

Anybody wanting to check these compilations out, I really do suggest getting them on your headphones and going out on a day trip on a train whilst you listen to them. They are beautiful selections of music that can be enjoyed anywhere, but when they are listened to with their intended purpose, thats when they make the most sense.”

worriedaboutsatan are to feature on the Winter Selection 2016. The Summer Selection is out on the 24th August.