Rest, peace and silence, but also sawing, creaking and crying; an elegant spruce and a beech with dense rustling leaves; harsh winters and a deer roaring in the moonlight.

In the conflicting juxtaposition of safety and danger, there is a different way of living that demands our deep respect and total presence. The residents of Lož Valley take listeners deep into the forest: not an urban one, but a real one. A place full of wonders, a carrier of memories, a source of calm and life. A forest as a part of self.

The piece was created as part of the larger project Whispers of Memory, which focused on researching and archiving the cultural heritage of the Lož Valley in rural Slovenia. Over the course of a week, the team collected around one hundred hours of sound recordings in collaboration with the local community. Primary school students interviewed local elders on how the soundscape had changed over their lifetimes. One recurring theme in these conversations was life in and with the forest — and from these stories, Forest is emerged.

Featuring: Milena Kraševec, Sonja Lipovac, Anton Mestnik, Milena Ožbolt, Andreja Ravšelj, Miha Razdrih, Boža Troha, Fani Truden, Ida Turk, Tone Udovič, Janja Urbiha, Leonida Zalar

Producer, sound design: Marta Medvešek
Mastering: Urban Gruden
Project team on location: Ana Čorić, Urban Gruden, Katarina Juvančić, Marta Medvešek, Ana Obreza, Saška Rakef Perko
Participating students (interviews & field recordings): Aljaž Dujo, Lea Lenarčič, Urh Anton Mlakar, Tadej Mihelčič, Patrik Ožbolt, Urška Ožbolt, Živa Palčič, Vili Strle, Marina Trivunčević, Martina Trivunčević

Special thanks to Félix Blume for his recordings available on freesound.org

Production: ARS Radio Slovenia 2023, within the framework of the project B-AIR – Sound art for babies, toddlers and vulnerable groups