Relative Autonomy is a musical metaphor for the conflict between individualism and the collective. The title refers to the theory of state power (based on Marxist ideas) that asserts that while a link exists between capitalism and the state, these structures also have a degree of independence.
The opening of the piece is dominated by an extended duet for contrabassoon and contrabass clarinet. This is later combined with a layer of high instruments, in particular piccolo, piccolo trumpet, violin and crotales. Hayden says: "It is the dialectic between these two layers that drives the energy of the piece. All the instruments are constantly involved in the tension between their individual and collective roles."

The music is tumultuous, rebarbative and non-figurative in the best of the ‘new complexity’ manner (Hayden describes his style as “coming from the traditions of post-minimalism and new complexity”).

Sunk Losses for orchestra, composed during a residency at the Akademie Schloss Solitude Stuttgart in 2002, won first prize in the second Christoph Delz Foundation Composers' Competition and received its first performance, by the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra during the festival Musik im 21. Jahrhundert, in Saarbrücken in May 2003.

1st performance: 20 Nov 2004 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Oslo Sinfonietta/Christian Eggen (cond.)/NoTAM/Frode Haltli (solo accordion) St. Paul's Hall, Huddersfield. 2nd performance: 10 Oct 2004 Ultima Festival, Oslo Sinfonietta/Christian Eggen/NoTAM/Frode Haltli Universitetets Aula, Oslo.