Vieon's "Inter-City": A Nostalgic Synth Ride Down Memory Lane

“Inter-City” by Vieon is a delightful electronic track that pays homage to a legendary mode of transport—the Inter-City 125 High-Speed Train. From the moment the song begins, you’re greeted with an industrious drum track that sets the pace for what’s to come. Soon, a captivating synth arpeggio enters the scene, accompanied by the distinct sounds of an HST, transporting you back to the heyday of British Rail.

The real star of the show, however, is the vocoder that weaves its magic throughout the track. With nostalgic lyrics that reminisce about the iconic train, “Inter-City” perfectly captures the essence of the ’70s with its classic synth stylings. The result is a sound that’s both familiar and refreshing, blending modern electronic elements with a retro flair.

Vieon, the brainchild of lifelong synth aficionado and producer Matt Wild, draws inspiration from ’70s and ’80s electronic film soundtracks and lush synthpop. Over the years, the project has evolved into a live four-piece ensemble, featuring Stephen Dorphin on samples and engineering, Ricardo Autobahn on live keyboards, and Adrian Brian Thompson on live visuals.

“Inter-City” is a driving and upbeat tribute to the Inter-City 125 train. It seamlessly combines a modified ‘motorik’ 808 beat, a pulsating modular Moog bassline, pulsing sequences, a Roland vocoder, and soaring keytar solos—a fan favorite at Vieon’s live shows. Amidst this sonic landscape, the song’s lyrics paint a dreamy picture of a summer seaside holiday by train, a journey never taken during the glory days of British Rail.

Matt Wild shares the inspiration behind “Inter-City”: “We’ve spent the last seven years on-off touring the UK and beyond so it’s long past time we were back in the studio for a new release. I’ve always been fascinated by the machines that move us, and I’ve had ephemeral plans for years to write a song or album on that basis. The Inter-City 125 was an easy first choice of subject material. One person in charge of 4500 horsepower slinging 500 tons of man and machine down two steel rails at 125mph—the essence of energy, dynamism, movement, all the things that make exciting music too.”