Sonic Society #648-Void Voices
Posted By Jack on May 31, 2020
This week Jack suffers from ennui and David cheers him up with some The Call of the Void audio drama therapy!
Welcome To The Sonic Society!
Each week Jack Ward and David Ault are pleased to showcase the very best Modern Audio Theatre (Radio Drama) from around the world. From the days of Old Time Radio in the early 20th century until the modern age of broadcasts, podcasts, and streaming simulcasts, audio plays are movies for the mind!
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Sonic Echo: 307 Temple of Vampires
Posted By Jack on May 24, 2020
This week we search through the archives and discover a lost episode from Season 3 of Sonic Echo- Temple of Vampires! From I Love a Mystery! Jeff Billard brings this amazing series to the other Amigos! Lothar Tuppan and Jack Ward discuss this favourite of Bill Hollweg!
Some links!
Temple of Vampires Archive.org
Polarising Your Cast (The Four Temperaments) Jackjward.com
Long Live the King!
Posted By Jack on May 22, 2020
The incredible partner of the Mutual Audio Network and creative heart and mind behind The Rise of King Asilias, JV Torres, got some grand ink from the MD Theatre Guide on May 21st. Check out the review!
“The Rise of King Asilas” is a fascinating, thought-provoking, audio series currently in its third season. The brainchild of JV Torres, who writes and stars as King Asilas, the show received a Latin Podcast Award in the category of “Performing Arts” and is nominated again in the “Drama” category for 2020.
“…a unique, reflective series worthy of attention . . . ”
Mr. Torres got interested in creating his own full-cast audio series replete with extended music and sound design via an unusual source – linguistics.
“I studied linguistics at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Linguistics is how I got into podcasting in the first place.” Mr. Torres was comparing the dialogue and accents used in old-time radio detective shows and comparing these to features he heard in modern audio drama. He then decided to produce his own modern audio drama series, and the rest is history. Or, perhaps more appropriately to his “King Asilas” series, alternate history!
“The Rise of King Asilas” starts off from a recognizable vantage point – the current divide in American society between conservatives and progressives. According to the plot of this series, this division leads to extreme factionalism and a variety of localized independent movements. Enter the U.S. General Asilas Roman, who invites these leaders to a conference where he has them and many of their followers assassinated. The United States is then abolished, and “The New Kingdom of America” is begun, with Asilas as absolute monarch. The series proceeds as this everyman-dictator deals with personal relationships (his wife Queen Rebecca and a love interest), foreign policies (future negotiations with King George, whom we assume to be the son of the real-life Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), and “night terrors” (doubtless a human reaction to the draconian measures Asilas has enacted).
Set 40 or 50 years in the future, the series is a modern dystopia with suggestions of works in the genre such as “Brave New World,” Mr. Torres comments that a major reference point is the Book of Revelation, for he states that “nothing is more utopian or dystopian than the Bible.” Indeed, there are biblical markers throughout the series, such as an appearance to King Asilas by the Angel Gabriel, who presents Asilas with a sort of Rosetta Stone which the king orders to be translated.
Yet “The Rise of King Asilas” is not merely science fiction due to its dystopian features, but also because of such elements as conspiracies of monsters and meetings with extraterrestrials (alien “close encounters” is a motif especially in season 2). By season 3, King Asilas turns his focus to religion, as he becomes more devout, and the Catholic Church and the Pope become a serious focus of the series. “Because we have thought of God and have the idea of God,” King Asilas has already noted to his doubting protégé Abigail in the first season, “there is a God.” Rare indeed is the adventure audio series which postulates the ontological argument for the existence of God.
There is also a JV Torres novel which bears the same title as the podcast drama. The novel and the audio series complement each other, telling the same story but presenting some different scenes so that each format enriches the other. The “King Asilas” novel is by no means the only book penned by Mr. Torres, as he works in second-language acquisition and has published a textbook. He intrigued us with the comment that “a textbook I published for English learners connects with strategies I employ in the audio series.” Indeed, the book is referenced in the credits of each episode and funds the production of the series. In the series, Mr. Torres is joined by the vocal talents of both professional and first time actors. Standing out for special mention is Clarence Jackson, who is ardent and complex as President Jackson, the last elected American commander-in-chief whose fate it is to relinquish the United States to the reign of King Asilas. John Doby also turns in a highly effective, low-key performance portraying Quintin Capone, the ominously named confidant of Asilas who helps the King retain power with Capone-like methods.
For these podcasts, Mr. Torres has teamed up with the Mutual Audio Network. The moniker of this network takes us back to traditional radio broadcasting. Radio listeners may remember the now-defunct Mutual Radio Network, famous for “Mutual Radio Theatre” and the radio version of “The Larry King Show,” which featured Mr. King’s occasional skit contacting extra-terrestrial life on the fictional Planet Fringus. Listeners of audio drama, whether coming from the entry point of older radio theatre or modern podcast audio dramas, should certainly give this unique, reflective series their attention. As Mr. Torres comments, “ I believe we are on the cusp of a digital renaissance in the podcasting world — if we are not there already!”
Link to the series: kingasilas.buzzsprout.com
Link to Website: theriseofkingasilas.com
Listen to The Rise of King Asilas weekly on Mutual’s Monday Matinee now available at all your favourite listening nodes:
RSS Feed: http://feeds.megaphone.fm/MUTUAL2587748521
Apple Podcasts/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/monday-matinee/id1459541042
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/monday-matinee
Google Podcasts/Play: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLm1lZ2FwaG9uZS5mbS9NVVRVQUw1MzcwODUxMDM4
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-monday-matinee-30795458/
Sonic Society #646- Ears for the Aether
Posted By Jack on May 17, 2020
From Jackie Jorgenson and Shared Manifest Entertainment, Jack and David feature “The Witch of Rockwood Cove from the amazing series Tales From the Aether!
Sonic Echo: 404 Western Adventures: The Singing Guns
Posted By Jack on May 10, 2020
Jack, Lothar and Jeff listen to old time radio shows they love and discuss them. This week Jeff brings in “The Singing Guns!“
Sonic Society #645- Unidentified Adventures!
Posted By Jack on May 10, 2020
This week Jack and David conclude the world podcast premiere of The Jake Muller Adventures from jakemulleradventures.com and Darby Kern! Make sure you go and subscribe today!
Sonic Society #644- Muller is Jake!
Posted By Jack on May 3, 2020
This week in a world podcast premiere Jack and David are excited to present part one of The Jake Muller Adventures from jakemulleradventures.com and Darby Kern! Make sure you go and subscribe for all their adventures today!
Sonic Echo: 403 Western Adventures: The Six Shooter- Duel at Lockwood
Posted By Jack on April 26, 2020
The Amigos ride back on the trail of even MORE great Westerns with this time Jack bringing in one of his favourite series “The Six Shooter” starring Jimmy Stewart. The episode is #26- Duel at Lockwood!
Sonic Society #643- Aethuran is King!
Posted By Jack on April 26, 2020
This week, David and Jack talk all things- Aethuran Dark Saga which is a dark fantasy audio fiction, a show with a unique blend of audiobook and audio drama!