Sheffield-based electro-acoustic artist David Newman is not autistic but , as someone who admits to having an audio obsession, he strongly empathises with the condition.
He has described his music as an attempt to "reorder sound and silence".
You could think of this album as a kind of hiker's sonic journal since it attempts to recreate in musical terms the experience of trekking in the UK's Peak District.
It is constructed out of impressions from exploring this beautiful region and utilises his own field recordings.
So, for example, you hear sawing and chopping wood on Mam For Soarer's Workshop and a crunching sound Padley Gorge evokes the terrain of this wooded valley while the serenity of tunes like Edge Over Millstone View and Aidale presumably reflect the calm feelings inspired by the landscape.
The eleven tracks, including two short tunes lasting less than one minute, are built around periods of rest beginning Asleep Beneath Nests and ending with Sleep State For Carl Week. The first incorporates field recordings of cawing crows, other bird song and even the sound of snoring.
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It's probably being a bit glib to describe the content in between as akin to a waking dream but there is something beautifully restful and contemplative about music designed to soothe rather than stimulate.
It would be neat to walk in the Peak District with this music on your i-pod; but in lieu of this experience taking the journey in your head is an acceptable alternative.
Autistici's website
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