Scranton/Mexican duo challenges ‘The Singularity’ with dystopian audio drama and music
From a press release:
When “The Singularity” premiered at the Scranton Fringe Festival last year, the play’s dystopian themes with a wall separating people were already topical. As the coronavirus pandemic rages on this election year, a new version recorded in the style of an old radio drama seems to reflect the world outside even more.
“The Singularity Project” is a multimedia collaboration between Scranton indie folk singer/songwriter LittleStarRun and Mexico City-based composer Galar. The international duo began working together in 2018 on a concept album in response to the atrocities at the U.S./Mexico border wall and the political and environmental policies of the Trump administration.
The audio drama set to debut this week was adapted from the dystopian musical/stage play “The Singularity” written by Woodworth, with music and sound design by Woodworth and Galar, in which the two musicians also play the two main roles. “The Singularity” premiered at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple during the 2019 Scranton Fringe Festival and was enthusiastically received by audiences.
When COVID-19 hit, any plans for touring with the stage play in the U.S. and Mexico had to be put on hold, so the duo decided to adapt the script into an audio drama. The similarities to the world of “The Singularity” and the new worldwide COVID reality are almost too eerie. The stage play was, coincidentally, socially distanced already – the two actors remain on opposite sides of the stage for almost the entirety of the show.
“The Singularity Audio Drama” is a dystopian sci-fi meta musical set in a world where all artistic expression is suppressed and human interaction is forbidden. It takes listeners into an unknown time, but a time not so different from our own where an oppressive physical and psychological wall separates humanity from itself and a technocratic entity known as The Singularity controls all means of expression and interaction. With the resurfacing of a long-lost prophecy, a new era of consciousness will ignite a movement that may allow the world to see and understand itself for the first time in a brand new light. Each episode of the dystopian audio drama will feature a song, with the full EP released at the end of the last episode.
“The Singularity Project” will debut the first episode of “The Singularity Audio Drama” and the first single, “A Singularidade,” from the accompanying EP this Friday, Aug. 28. The audio drama will be available through anchor.fm on multiple platforms, including Spotify. “A Singularidade” will premiere during a live release event on Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. on the duo’s Facebook page and then on Bandcamp, with all proceeds benefiting the ACLU and its immigration legal defense fund.
The EP was originally written as the soundtrack to the stage play and combines musical styles that both musicians love. The music spans influences and genres, from bossa nova, spaghetti Western, and garage to folk, flamenco, and punk.
LittleStarRun is an indie musician, songwriter, and composer with years of experience as an actress in theatre, film, and other stage endeavors. Her music is often described as ethereal indie rock/folk with dream pop and shoegaze elements.
Woodworth grew up in the East Coast punk/hardcore scene while simultaneously playing clarinet and listening to jazz and more experimental music. Making her home in New York City and eventually Athens, Greece, she became exposed to the wide variety of scenes in her adopted cities, especially the jazz and classical worlds of New York, the diverse international European music scene, and the thriving Greek and Anglophone music scenes in Athens. This complex alchemy of influences became the catalyst for her transformation into a musical artist.
After studying guitar and music theory, Woodworth was forced to leave Greece in 2015 and return to the U.S. to undergo treatment for the severe neurological illness RSD/CRPS that affected her legs and ability to walk. Despite this, she continued to express herself through music and released her first single, “Wilting,” in 2016, recorded in Athens, Greece.
Galar is a Mexican singer, songwriter, musician, and composer who delves into acoustic neo psychedelia and composes music for video games and film. He is also the former lead singer and songwriter of the neo-prog rock band Hombre Bestia, influenced by acts like Porcupine Tree and A Perfect Circle. In 2016, after two albums and minor success, Galar left Hombre Bestia and went on busking around Mexico and Germany to find his new voice. He wrote new music and created the concept that is “Pretty Little Things That Fly Away,” his first solo release. This material isn’t meant to be understood as a traditional album, but as a collection of music, short films, and stories.
Follow “The Singularity Project” on social media as this new story unfolds.
