What began as a word-of-mouth gathering for artists evolved into a seasonal series combining the mystique of “Eyes Wide Shut” with the energy of all-night raves and the theatrics of “Sleep No More.”
Inspired by a documentary of Ryuichi Sakamoto and the work of Pauline Oliveros, the second edition of the underground event series, The Soundscape sought to create a musical experience that was part ritual and part meditation.
Seeking a space that offered a variety of natural elements for musicians to play with and evoking a deeply meditative mood, I located The Brooklyn Sanctuary.
Built from the foundations of an old church, this homelike spa offered a panoply of environmental textures including stone, wood, glass, water and fire.
Juilliard graduate, Ricardo Romaneiro, a composer known for creating site specific musical composition, composed an original deconstructed symphony to play off the aural qualities of the space.
Leveraging the list of over 550 email addresses—built from the through the largely word-of-mouth Crypt Ball campaign—we released a soundwave file one week prior to tickets going on sale, informing audiences that another underground event was afoot and providing the date and time of ticket release.
Upon release, all available tickets were sold out in six minutes.
Guests were welcomed into the three-story spa, housed in a former church 19th century church, to experience a deconstructed symphony.
Attendees were encouraged to traverse the sacred halls, finding solace in the tranquil waters of the baths, the gentle heat of the saunas, or the comforting warmth of the fireplaces found around the spa.
In every chamber, a musician serenaded the space with music meticulously crafted to resonate with the natural elements (stone, water, glass, wood, fire) of the room. Visitors could bask in one of six divine movements, or linger in the central chamber, where the conductor wove the tapestry melodies into a full celestial symphony.
The evening also offered a soundbath, inviting attendees to immerse themselves into the vibrations of the space, as well as intimate one-on-one ASMR sessions, where whispers spoke directly to the soul.
