Described as “a nature walk combined with a silent disco,” Waves in the Woods is a new event created by Colin Mulligan of Volta Laboratory Social Club, the events group behind the bring your own vinyl nights at Speakeasy, as well as the monthly chess event at Joystick Gamebar and the Open Circuit jam series at Aisle 5. Mulligan was inspired to combine a community hike with an immersive listening experience after he began creating playlists and sharing them with friends before they would meet up to walk around Lullwater Park. But although he had a loose idea of what he wanted to do with the event, the concept wasn’t fully formed until he decided to partner with the Sierra Club’s Georgia Chapter to raise funds and bring awareness about the environmental group’s many activities. “I wanted to try to raise money for a cause I believed in that actually does legitimate work,” Mulligan explains. “Sierra Club is one organization that I’ve witnessed their impact first-hand.”

The thinking behind Waves in the Woods is aspirational yet very straightforward. For $3, hikers can RSVP to the event and acquire a download code for a playlist created specifically for the walk. A bundle that includes a t-shirt is also available for $15. Participants should arrive with the playlist already downloaded to their device. For anyone who is unprepared, Mulligan says there will laptops on site to ensure everyone has access to the music. The object is for everyone to sync the playlist when the hike begins and enjoy a communal listening experience as they explore Sweetwater Creek State Park. “Expect to find a bunch of quality people who have a true love for nature, exploring it with friends,” says Mulligan. “Ideally I would love to see a family with their dog, everybody wearing headphones.”

As for the music, it’s a strong mix of some of the city’s most experimental and forward-thinking composers that includes selections from the likes of 10th Letter, Skybison, Alexa Lima and Dark Room. Each track is a brand new composition created specifically for the event. “I love the idea of music composed for a specific environment,” says Mulligan, whose own project, Group Sound Therapy, is contributing a track to the playlist. “It’s just exciting knowing you are going to have a captive audience on headphones, listening to your music. It makes composing music for an event like this new and exciting.” The full list of contributing artists is as follows:

10th Letter
Skybison
Alexa Lima
Saira Raza
Cosmoore
Dark Room
Joshua Worden
Nelward
Charolastra
Isness
The Glad Scientist

The pet and family friendly event will take place this Sunday from 3-4:30 p.m. If all goes well with the inaugural hike, Mulligan hopes to make Waves in the Woods a seasonal event with a unique playlist that features all manner of local artists. You can check out the teaser video for the first volume below.

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