Immersive experience

SONIC JOURNEY

All the voice overs in this project come from volunteers who for the most part recorded themselves remotely from their own homes using their personal devices and submitted their audios, adding their personal voice to this journey.
None of them were recorded at the same time or were reading the texts together.
YEAR:

2015-present

DIRECTOR:

Yaiza Varona

CONCEPT:

Yaiza Varona

A journey is something that takes you from A to B while challenging your comfort zone in the process,

 
 
Single Origin Hypothesis

According to the recent single origin hypothesis, human ancestors originated in Africa, and eventually made their way out to the rest of the world.

60000
YEARS ago

It is believed, on the basis of genetic evidence, that all human beings in existence now descend from one single man who lived in Africa about 60,000 years ago.

 
 
SAN PEOPLE
 
The earliest groups of humans are believed to find their present-day descendants among the bushmen, also known as San people.
 

Sonic Journey in an immersive, cross-disciplinary audio guided experience which describes the concept of travel and how it universally affects the man; how it impacts its identity, its story, the new thoughts it triggers inside. Both the positive and the unsettling elements of travelling.
It´s conceived to make the audience go on a virtual journey by experiencing what any traveller goes through: the excitement, the confusion, the drama, the challenge overcoming, the peace, the knowledge gained.
It also covers nowadays migration, the more individual and spiritual aspects of any journey, and all the questions these human movements awake inside.
The linking element for the story telling is the great migration from Africa of the first human beings, the Bushmen (San People), which started 60,000 years ago and resulted in the population of the whole globe while originating the different human races.
Theirs is the greatest journey ever, as it´s what actually gave place to our own; but more importantly, it also means that if we go back in time enough your grandfather, my grandfather and everyone´s in the planet are the same.

In order to explore a bit more of our own journey and celebrate our common origin, a series of folk tales from the Bushmen and other key texts are read by volunteers from all over the world and edited to form a storytelling with their experience. Also, using the contents (video, pictures) of the smartphones of the audience, we embed their own experience into the visual narrative of a virtual journey where the main character is the viewer.
After exploring its senses of adventure, excitement, the real drama and the spiritual journey present in every travel, this work reaches the present day, when it is up to us to decide how the journey will unfold, as we take it on us to continue what the San People started more than 60,000 years ago.
We reached here, today- and now, what?
We leave this question open and offer as possible closure for this opportunity a bit of quirkiness hoping that humour and tenderness may make the journey still ahead of us a bit more interesting….
The thesis there is that the first Bushman that left Africa was no different from any of us, here and now, as journeys democratically bring us to our default settings, before any constraints set us apart.

This is a proposal for walking not a mile but 60,000 years in the shoes of the Bushmen to recreate not their journey but to re-live our own. To switch places with what we were, maybe what we will be.

It’s not they walking, it’s me, it´s us. After all, we’re all San People.
TOYS

According to the recent single origin hypothesis, human ancestors originated in Africa, and eventually made their way out to the rest of the world.

BUSHMAN 2.0

Excerpt of suite Sonic Journey, Bushman 2.0 gently shows the paradoxical world of modern day hunter gatherers in their every day jungle. Visuals by Jesús Hernández

Dragons and Migration: the concepts behind

Dancer and choreographer Estela Merlos explains different excerpts of Sonic Journey

Visual artists:
 
L´Aubaine: Live visuals, editing, original visuals for all remaining tracks and general awesomeness
Jesus Hernandez  (Visuals for Toys, Videogame, Logo)
Almudena Adalia Calvo (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Rachel Warr (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Mayra Stergiou (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Emilia Liberatore (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Myriam Megharbi (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Kaye Conway (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Jum (Heart of Bow, Northern Lights, Thoughts about Returning Home, Pulchritudine)
Estela Merlos (War Drums, Tu Me Manques)
Juan delGado (War Drums, Tu Me Manques)
Mick Ankri (Guess My Name)
Luis Alvarez (Lights and sound superstar)
Sandeep Sharma (Footage for U=Love)
 
Music and Concept: Yaiza Varona
VOICES

Marja Seidel
Jose Angel Estevez
Carmen Negrin
Itahisa Gonzalez
Mauro Armengod
Liu Yan
Jono Lavelle
Ishan Basyal
Gregorio
Alicia
Luis Alberto
Paula Paz
Ajjaz Awad
Titania Krimpas
Elliot Hadley
Becky Black
Tom Walsh
Alex Kirkland

THANKS
 
MoJen Jenkins
Paolo Carnevali
Marie-Anne Fischer
Jorge De Juan
Anna Kawka
Giannicola DAloisio
Jaco DeBeer
Aurélia Boulet
Stephanie Bazin
Nikola Nikita Jeremic
Patricia Asante
Chris Barnett
Zdravko Djorjevic
Eirini Dermitzaki
Emmanuel Exbrayat
Asia Depp
Begui´s Lu
Eva Gara Delgado
David Moraton
Laurent Roussel
Pau Ros
Tom Crame
Otilia Martin
Ola Mesmer
Kevin Nolan
Tricity Vogue
Ahrryn Descy
Nuria Rius
Charlotte Levy
You

Journey Companions

If you want to arrive fast, go alone; if you want to arrive far, bring company

The Origin

Single Origin Hypothesis
According to the recent single origin hypothesis, human ancestors originated in Africa, and eventually made their way out to the rest of the world.
It is believed, on the basis of genetic evidence, that all human beings in existence now descend from one single man who lived in Africa about 60,000 years ago. The earliest groups of humans are believed to find their present-day descendants among the bushmen, also known as San people.
 
In The Beginning
 
The Bushmen believe that in the beginning there was only a shadowy darkness all over the world. The sun, moon and stars didn’t even exist. Therefore it was night and darkness was present all over, so Night and Darkness existed from the ancient times. Nobody knows how old they are and where they came from. What we do know is that old Night and his wife Darkness live in a cave deep in the Ghost Mountains of the Kalahari Desert.
The Sun and the Children
 
The Sun comes, the darkness goes away, the Sun comes, the Sun sets, the darkness comes, the moon comes at night. The day breaks, the Sun comes out, the darkness goes away, the Sun comes. The moon comes out, the moon brightens the darkness, the darkness departs; the moon comes out, the moon shines, taking away the darkness. It goes along, it has made bright the darkness. It sets. The Sun comes out, the Sun comes after the darkness, the Sun takes away the moon—the moon stands, the Sun pierces it with the Sun’s knife, as it stands; therefore, it decays away on account of it.

To the Young Moon

Young Moon!
Hail, Young Moon!
Hail, hail,
Young Moon!
Young Moon!
Speak to me!
Hail, hail,
Young Moon!
Tell me of something.
Hail, hail!
When the sun rises,
You must speak to me,
That I may go somewhere.
You must speak to me About a little thing,
That I may go somewhere.
Hail, hail,
Young Moon!
 

 

The Adventure

There are two journeys in every travel; whereabouts in the world you are going and the journey inside, so the same person that left may not be the same person arriving

 

Dragons
There are dragons carved on tops of bells and gongs, because of the beast´s habit of calling loudly when attacked.
A second type is carved on the screws of fiddles, since most dragons are fond of music.
A third is carved on the tops of stone tablets, because of dragon´s love of literature.
A fourth is found at the bottom of stone monuments for dragons can support heavy weights.
A fifth is placed on the eaves of temples, as dragons are ever alert to danger.
A sixth occurs on the beams of bridges, since dragons are fond of water.
A seventh is carved on Buddha´s throne, as dragons like to rest.
An eighth is placed on the hilts of swords, since dragons are known to be capable of slaughter.
The ninth is carved on prison gates, as these are dragons that are fond of quarrelling and trouble making….There are nine major types of Chinese dragons. These include the horned dragon, the winged dragon, the coiling dragon who lives in water, the celestial dragon who protects the Gods, the spiritual dragon which makes wind and rain for the benefit of mankind or the dragon of hidden treasures who keeps guard over concealed wealth.
The last of the nine is the dragon king, which actually consists of four separate dragons, each of which rules over one of the four seas, those of the east, south, west and north.

The Drama

Everything happens for a reason. Even the bad things, especially the bad things.
Migration
Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. The reasons for migration can be economic, social, political or environmental. There are usually push factors and pull factors at work. Migration impacts on both the place left behind, and on the place where migrants settle.

 Thoughts About Returning Home
He only awaits the return of the moon; that the moon may go round, that he may return, that he may examine the water pits; those at which he drank. He will work, putting the old hut in order, while he feels that he has gathered his children together, that they may work, putting the water in order for him. For, he did go away, leaving the place, while strangers were those who walked at the place. Their place it is not; for my father’s father’s place it was.

The Destination

If you don´t change direction, you will end up where you are heading
A Bushmen Utopia
Night and his wife Darkness lived their quiet life deep in the stone cave while the whole world was covered in cold and darkness, and had three daughters, who went out to the world and lived many adventures. Finally, they meet three young men and made them their husbands.
It was a joyous occasion with lots of food and dancing. Old Night and his wife were very proud of their three daughters and very happy with the three young men that joined their family.
 
Each couple made their own hut to stay in and they lived very happily because there was lots of water and plenty of food. The family lived in love and harmony every day of their lives. With plenty of water and lots of food they had enough time for dancing and celebration.
 
Was this wonderful lazy life of abundance too good to last?
 
A Homage
 
A homage to all those who dare to reinvent themselves and dare into the unknown, pushing the boundaries and inspiring us all. We have the hope of rising again after having failed, the promise of a happiness after tears when arriving to our destination. This is a tribute to all those occassions when we stand up again after having fallen. With a little bit of humour, patience and tenderness to allow us heal and learn from our difficulties, it is always possible not only to survive the tough moments but also surpass them without being infected by bitterness and malice, without other side effects other than the knowledge gained, coming back to life fully awaken and not fearing pain again.

For all what we wish and leave in the hands of the Gods. For all the hope in precious projects, for all what’s new and unknown, for all the brand new starts and the funny coincidences. For all the wishing wells, for all our faith growing warmer in our chests, for all the unexpected curves in the road and the surprises they bring. For the ability to surpass them with health and joy…

The journey of The Journey so far:

Sonic Journey has different versions that range from a solely audio experience to the full cross disciplinary immersive experience adapted to the space of the performance.
A first draft of this project, in its audio version, was premiered in experimental audio festival Audioblast 3 in Nantes, France in February 2015 and streamed globally in real time.
A second version including visual content from more than a dozen artists who provided their own vision of different stages of the journey and live visuals was performed in the premiere of tech festival Techtoberfest 2015 in London Fields, London.
Sonic Journey in Audioblast 3 (Friday 27th, 22:00h France time)
Sonic Journey in Techtoberfest 2015, 2nd October 19:00 London Time
Sonic Journey in Homeland for Nour Festival 2016, 5th November 16:00h London Time
Currently in R&D, it is our intention to keep exploring the different aspects of it and make it grow towards its full potential.

 

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