Radio Lento and the augmented reality blues

The soundscapes of Radio Lento can turn even the most overwhelming urban landscape into a rural retreat. But is it good for me? A couple of weeks ago, feeling stressed at work, I took myself around the block for a mid-afternoon walk. It didn’t help because all I could hear was the sound of traffic, which always feels louder and more intense when I’m anxious. Even in the park the thundering of lorries, whining of boy-racer hatchbacks and throb of the nearby flyover seemed unbearable. Then I had a bright idea: why not plug in my noise cancelling headphones and choose a better soundtrack? On Tidal I found a 4-minute track called something like ‘English countryside sounds’ and hit play. The improvement was instant. The sounds I was hearing matched what I saw in front of me – tall yellow grass waving in the wind, mature trees, weeds at full stretch – and as the recorded birds sang, I felt myself uncoil. By the time the track ended, I felt completely reset. A few days later, after a…