1. Radio Lento

Dead of night beside a lake in the Lee Valley Park – sleep special

It is 3am. At the water’s edge, the shadows are thick. A single star reflects in the ink black water, bobbed by passing ripples. The wide-open waterscape is alive with the sound of birds, swimming and calling, drippling the surface of the water for food, cleaning their wings, landing and taking off. Something creeps through the foliage nearby, perhaps a swan in search of a place to settle. The air’s still balmy from the hot day before. Soft breezes come and go, rustling the leaves of the over-hanging trees. In woodland across the lake, muntjacs invisibly call to each other, their dog-like barks carrying easily over the water. Miles beyond, undulating waves of traffic flow along the A10, sounding sometimes like distant wind. This recording was made in July. Microphones were hidden in a tree on the edge of the lake and left to record all night. The location was hidden away from the path, tucked down a shallow bank behind dense trees, nettles and brambles. A special spot known only to birds, insects and mammals.