A previously dark subway next to Hayes and Harlington station is now filled with a wall of light telling the story of the area’s record music heritage.
The subway was previously lined with an art pattern painted onto the wall and although quite short was still curiously dark in appearance. As part of the housing development next to it, the subway was refurbished with a floor to ceiling light display.
The subway is now lined with a soft cream coloured wall, decorated with the pattern of a record grove in memory of the old EMI factory at Hayes, which is now a housing development.
Behind the decorative wall, a slowly changing pattern of lights highlights the radial record grove pattern printed on the walls.
Overall, it’s a very nice subtle effect.
We’re also told by the official announcement that the new tunnel lining “plays with textures, sound and light and echoes the stereo sound of local people passing through Hayes on their daily commute”
I am not entirely sure what the stereo sound of local people is supposed to mean in the context of this artwork, but it’s sufficiently confusing that I overheard a couple complaining that they thought the tunnel was supposed to play music. It turns out there is supposed to be some sound effect, but it wasn’t working on my visit.
Away from confusing art-speak, there’s a nice central section that tells the story of Alan Dower Blumlein, one of the most prolific British inventors of the 20th century, who invented stereo sound recording and was a senior sound engineer at EMI in Hayes.
One of the recordings he made in early stereo was of the local railway line – the first ever recording of a steam train in film footage with a stereo soundtrack.
The subway is right next to the railway station, by the main stairs and has turned a dank subway into something light and airy.
The “Sounds of Hayes” design is by The Decorators, the graphics are by Guglielmo Rossi Bandiera, and made by The White Wall Company. The (non-playing) sound was by Julian Brown and William Green.
“To the old Shellac Factory” would have been just as accurate. They also had their recording studios there in the 20s and 30s.. For HMV and Zonophone records mainly.
And homeless ppl first thing in the morning.
A record has only one continuous groove.
“Sounds of Hayes” appears to have seperate concentric circles, so not a record at all.
It’s also a work of art, and not to be taken literally.