Campfire Stories 14 (The Gila Outdoor Immersion) by Erin E by Silent Season

Campfire Stories 14 (The Gila Outdoor Immersion) by Erin E (@djerine)

~ About The Story ~

Experiencing and creating music outside in magnificent landscapes or wild places has long been of intense interest to me. I find that when carefully curated, this aural experience can deeply affect our understanding and love of a place, and ultimately of ourselves. Similarly, Winter Solstice is the time of celebration of the return of light, the time when the sun stands still before reversing its path back toward the warmth of spring and the season for planting. In my home of northern New Mexico, this is a special day in both modern and ancient indigenous Puebloan cultures – groups from which we have much to learn. Through the study of archaeoastronomy, numerous astronomical observatories and solar calendars used to mark events such as Winter Solstice have been discovered at places like Chaco Canyon and Hovenweep. Although it is technically the longest night of the year, I have found that the return of the light is what draws me to seek creativity and a deeper understanding of the seasons.

I created and recorded this mix outside on a blanket on the sunny and crisp afternoon of Winter Solstice 2015, nestled amongst the pinon, juniper, native grasses and rocks of the Gila National Forest in southern New Mexico. This story is a journey – beginning with reflection on the quiet of wild places to find peace within ourselves, moving on to appreciating the mysteries of nature, and finally celebrating the return of the light during solstice.  ~ DJ Erin E

About the Gila (hee-la)

The Gila is a place with near mythical status as a wild and remote mountain high-elevation territory, where the mighty upper Gila River's headwaters still run free and un-dammed, and where plentiful hot springs beckon. The Gila was the first place in the US (and world) to be designated as a wilderness area, and has a long history of indigenous settlement, perhaps best known for the Mogollon's Gila Cliff Dwellings. The 3.3 million acres of National Forest and Wilderness area occupies much of the southwestern corner of New Mexico. 

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” - Edward Abbey 

~ Chapters ~

01. Ekená - Deep peace to you
02. Drifting Tides- Kaya
03. The Archivist- Photosensitive
04. Warmth - Wave Growth
05. Fingers In The Noise - Snow Day
06. ASC - Deep Freeze
07. Lulacruza - Lagunita
08. Arovane & Hior Chronik - Wunderland
09. Martin Nonstatic- Tabula Rasa
10. Purl - Eagles
11. Fingers In The Noise - Plenitude
12. Twin Peetz- Deformations
13. Sven Laux- Hovering Between Hope And Reality (Part 1)
14. Yone B- Early Bird
15. Feral- Krishna
16. Alonefold - Drift Dancer
17. BLNDR - Tomb
18. Sven Weisemann- Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus
19. ASC - Epsilon Dream
20. Yone - Innocence
21. Am.Light - Particles
22. Porya Hatami - White Forest (Arovane Remix)
23. Goran Geto - Radiant
24. die Nachtstunde- Verschwommen
25. Schwarzfunk - Intervall
26. ASC - Immersion
27. Skymn - Doctrine
28. Cocorosie - Smokey Taboo (sample within ‘Doctrine’)
29. Acronym - Centering
30. Ekená - These Waves
31. Subset- Rivers Of Dub

~ Notes ~

Campfire Stories is a mix series by friends of Silent Season. The focus of the series is on storytelling through deeper electronic music. Artists weave together narratives using the emotional characteristics of ambient and techno music.

Thanks to all the artists and labels whose sounds help tell the story.

Thank you for listening.