Requiem for Diesel in London

Requiem for London Diesel.

LondonBus
A London Bus

Historically, what R Murray Schafer would call 'keynote sounds' for London are closely related to diesel engines, specifically buses and taxis in the centre of the city:

But, around 2023/ 2024, it became clear that this was changing. New technologies, such as electric and hybrid power, made an increaing number of buses and taxis almost silent. What had once just been a vision for environmentalists was rapidly starting to affect the sounds of the city.

I recorded diesel sounds around Waterloo and at bus stations in Waterloo and Richmond. I distorted else using a variery of techniques. Once again, I used Curtis Roads' "Microsounds" to suggest the way that memories decay. I played with frequencies. I also added some other London sounds: the chimes of 'Big Ben', sirens, and traffic noises.

I turned my sounds into a short composition.Apologies if this takes a few seconds to load. The three 'movements' are:

London Diesel as it was.

A dying Diesel engine remembers its days of glory.

Finally, switched off for the last time, and gone to silence.