Jarvis Cocker turns field recordist; download new album for free | FACT magazine: music and art

“The former Pulp frontman has gone all Chris Watson and worked with the National Trust to produce a 13-track, 33 minute collection of recordings from some of its sites across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. National Trust: The Album was produced to “showcase the peace and tranquility people enjoy when they visit the special places cared for by the National Trust”, and it’s available to download for free from the National Trust’s website.

The commission was a response to research by the National Trust that reveals 83% of people find that constant audio interruptions [particularly those of a technological nature] make them distracted and unable to concentrate on a daily basis (no shit), while 88% of people say they find it easier to think when surrounded by natural sounds such as birdsong and the sea (no shit).”

Tracklist:
1. Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire (garden stroll with the crunch of gravel underfoot)
2. Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire (birdsong)
3. Brownsea Island, Poole, Dorset (waves lapping against the shore)
4. Ham House, Richmond, Surrey (footsteps along the Long Gallery)
5. Chartwell, Westerham, Kent (creaking stairs of the grand staircase)
6. Upton House, Banbury, Warwickshire (game of billiards at play)
7. Lanhydrock, Bodmin, Cornwall (music box playing in the Nursery)
8. Quarry Bank Mill, Wilmslow, Cheshire (children playing at the Apprentice House)
9. Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden, Ripon, York (birdsong in the water garden)
10. Powis Castle & Garden, Welshpool, Powys (gardeners at work in the formal garden)
11. Patterson’s Spade Mill, Ballyclare, County Antrim (mill at work)
12. Blickling Hall, Norwich, Norfolk (sounds of clocks in the hall)
13. Blickling Hall, Norwich, Norfolk (wind in the clock tower)

The National Trust maintains over 300 historic houses and gardens, over 700 miles of coastline and over 617,500 acres across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.