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Evans Cycles is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Ride-to-Work scheme not with a discount code or a new product, but with the release of an “experimental track, based entirely on the heartbeats of Britain’s cycling commuters".
The new track, named ‘Heartwork’, was commissioned by Evans, and created by Paul Hartnoll of British electronic brand Orbital, which is famed for its experimental use of sounds. The band made headlines in 2010 for inviting actor Matt Smith to co-perform the classic Doctor Who theme live at Glastonbury Festival.
Data from over 20,000 commuter rides were analysed to create a fast-paced track produced to “inspire UK commuters to shun their cars, buses or tubes and ride their way to a healthier heart".
Heartwork is the world’s first piece of music created using data from heartbeats during exercise. It is available for exclusive download on the Evans Cycles website.
Hartnoll commented: “The first inspiration from the data I took is that the average commuting heartrate seems to be around the tempo of techno or fast house music – around 128bpm, which gave me a good feel for how to approach the production.
“I was also inspired to make the majority of the music and the rhythm out of actual bike sounds, sampling my own bike by playing it with bits of metal and bike pumps. Whether as a listener you notice that the song is made up of bike sounds or not, it’s there in the DNA of the track,” he concluded.
Evans Cycles has also commissioned Alex Rutterford, who has previously worked with the likes of Radiohead, to design the artwork for the single. Three vinyl pressings are being made available via auction to raise further funds for the BHF.
Head of corporate partnerships at the British Heart Foundation Bianca O’Donnell added: “Research the BHF has undertaken shows that 62 per cent of UK workers spend a maximum of two hours outdoors on an average working day.
“Swapping a sedentary commute, such as by car or public transport, for cycling to and from work is an easy way to incorporate physical activity into your daily plans. We are happy to see Ride-to-Work celebrate its tenth birthday and hope that ‘Heartwork’ raises further awareness of the scheme.”
