Cycling Music

Richard Durrant is a brave man – he is attempting to tour his new album around the UK by bike. And he is intent on transporting his guitar and equipment by bike too, so making his carbon footprint a tiny one. Cycling Music contains Durrant's own compositions, making up a suite, along with his interpretation of US contemporary classical composer Steve Reich's ‘Electric Counterpoint’ and a JS Bach piece he has titled ‘JS Bike’ – not as witty as perhaps he imagined.

Durrant states that his own compositions were inspired by time spent cycling. As an avid cyclist I understand his passion to communicate the rhythms, challenges and pleasures of riding but what we have here is 45 minutes of minimalist classical music on guitar that, for the most part, goes nowhere. The fact that he is performing Steve Reich hints very strongly at where Durrant's enthusiasms lie and as, to my ears, he does little to reinterpret Reich's astringent pulse, I can’t see the point in all this. Cycling does lack its musical champions – even jogging has a lovely song by Jamaica's Freddie McGregor – but this album does not further the two-wheeled cause.