Two Fingers Pointing to the Moon is an enhanced audiobook where narrative is intertwined with music and sound design to create an immersive storytelling experience. In this project, music takes on more than just a supportive role and is integral to the telling of the story.
The action takes place at a secluded spiritual community in the north of England, following two young lovers who have decided to deepen their meditation practice in order to better navigate the traumas of their pasts. However, the retreat turns out to be less benign than it first appeared and the lovers' bond, as well as their very sense of self, soon starts to disintegrate. It is only the sounds and music that they hear around them that offer them a way out. But perhaps it is already too late.
Designed for listening on headphones.
released June 3, 2021
Written, composed and produced by Xander Simmons.
Piano: Xander Simmons and Laurie Sévigny-Couture
Kitchen percussion: Xander Simmons
Synth/sampler: Xander Simmons
Vocals: Kate Markle and Catalina Galan Vargas
Album artwork: Zoé Fauvel (
www.zoefauvel.com)
I am also indebted to the following sound artists from
freesound.org, whose recordings were invaluable in creating an immersive soundscape experience when I didn’t have the time or resources to do all my own Foley:
• “00960 gravel walk 2” by Robinhood76 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Robinhood76/sounds/69300/
• “05 – Swing doors” by 14GSionJ of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/14GSionJ/sounds/419387/
• “130216_01 Outdoor Ambience, pigeons take off. India, Pushkar, Brahma Ghat lake” by Anantich of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Anantich/sounds/318316/
• “24.Push” by miguelab1998 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/miguelab1998/sounds/408595/
• “Bird Song” by musicradiocreative of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/musicradiocreative/sounds/197104/
• “Body falling to floor 5” by JakLocke of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/JakLocke/sounds/261298/
• “BR_024_India_street” by kevp888 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/kevp888/sounds/440120/
• “breakfast crockery” by crowcube2 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/crowcube2/sounds/405300/
• “Breathing” by herwint of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/herwint/sounds/267512/
• “Breathing – Slow, Distraught, Tired” by TomchikRec of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/TomchikRec/sounds/372241/
• “Chopping Onion_Erhart” by postworkflow of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/postworkflow/sounds/360649/
• “Church Door (Interior) Throwleigh_sel.wav” by gropkcor of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/gropkcor/sounds/392233/
• “Cooking in the Kitchen” by KenieVaness of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/KenzieVaness/sounds/352050/
• “CountrysideWinterEvening02.wav” by pcaeldries of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/pcaeldries/sounds/65813/
• “Creaking wooden door” by Suhral of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/suhral/sounds/346155/
• “Creaking_floor_upstairs” by AlienXXX of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/AlienXXX/sounds/151346/
• “Crockery and Cutlery” by waxsocks of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/waxsocks/sounds/456526/
• “DinerKitchen” by ViaTorci of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/ViaTorci/sounds/66790/
• “DinnerDishes” by shelbyshark of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/shelbyshark/sounds/466608/
• “Door Knock - 14.wav” by Ligidium of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Ligidium/sounds/193832/
• “Door, Church, Close, E.wav” by InspectorJ (
www.jshaw.co.uk) of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/339677/
• “DoorCreaking11.flac” by Zabuhailo of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Zabuhailo/sounds/214082/
• “drum circle Tamtams1 Montreal, Canada” by kyles of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/455762/
• “Dull rain and rumble 2011-08-28” by Kyster of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Kyster/sounds/136294/
• “Electric Zap” by bevibeldesign of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/bevibeldesign/sounds/315918/
• “Empty (large) Room - Tone | Stereo MS” by sons_pt of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/sons_pt/sounds/255522/
• “Extreme Pain Shout” by milnersousa of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/milnersouza/sounds/338356/
• “fall to ground” by MAJ061785 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/MAJ061785/sounds/85546/
• “Field_LA Rain_Park_Under Umbrella-Running in mud_02” by WilliamJMeyer of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/WilliamJMeyer/sounds/465676/
• “footsteps and ambience” by EmmaB19 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/EmmaB19/sounds/367178/
• “Footsteps on Tile” by jtnewlin13 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/jtnewlin13/sounds/349865/
• “gasp after a run” by launemax of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/launemax/sounds/249925/
• “Heartbeat, Regular, Single, 01-01, LOOP.wav” by InspectorJ (
www.jshaw.co.uk) of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/485076/
• “Heavy Door Closing” by JonathanTremblay of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/JonathanTremblay/sounds/254802/
• “Heavy Impacts” by RICHERIandTV of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/RICHERlandTV/sounds/232358/
• “Heavy Rain” by lebaston100 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/lebaston100/sounds/243628/
• “Hiking on Soft Ground 1 – Through Mud” by Yoyodaman234 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Yoyodaman234/sounds/349077/
• “Hitting in a Face” by florianreichelt of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/florianreichelt/sounds/460509/
• “India outdoor crowd” by Martin.Sadoux of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Martin.Sadoux/sounds/423510/
• “Industrial_hall_ambience.wav” Lydmakeren of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Lydmakeren/sounds/510485/
• “Kitchen Cooking_Noises & Ambience” by ancorapazzo of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/ancorapazzo/sounds/181627/
• “Kitchen fan” by Tuben of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/161389/
• “Man breathing” by jason130178 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/jason130178/sounds/210000/
• “Mantra in Indian Temple” by venaporte of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/venaportae/sounds/272177/
• “MVI_7516_IN_KolkataMullikGhat” by kevp888 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/kevp888/sounds/466270/
• “Old Padlock” by LampEight of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/LampEight/sounds/277155/
• “Old Piano - Somber Chords.wav” by bigmanjoe of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/bigmanjoe/sounds/427307/
• “rain_strong_with_thunders” by loopbasedmusic of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/loopbasedmusic/sounds/157486/
• “Refrigerator humming” by CaganCelik of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/CaganCelik/sounds/453376/
• “room-tone RAIN: Room-tone rain-drips 3 m” by klankbeeld of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/363075/
• “Roomtone Warehouse Fans Vents Large” by leonelmail of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/leonelmail/sounds/427861/
• “Running away outside” by avakas of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/avakas/sounds/144121/
• “Static interference” by InSintesi of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/InSintesi/sounds/353071/
• “Street Ambience India” by widosub of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/widosub/sounds/509181/
• “Underneath the floorboards” by BeeProductive of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/BeeProductive/sounds/395622/
• “Walk basement 01, 02 and 03” by LG of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/LG/sounds/73109/ freesound.org/people/LG/sounds/73110/ freesound.org/people/LG/sounds/73111/
• “Walking down the hallway” by brainwaves8 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/brainwaves8/sounds/216004/
• “Walking in Kitchen” by DJPhizz of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/DJPhizz/sounds/52378/
• “Washing Vegetables in the Sink” by ultradust (Andi Roselund) of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/ultradust/sounds/167515/
• “Whimper_Gasp_1_Male” by Drkvixn91 of freesound.org:
freesound.org/people/Drkvixn91/sounds/318077/
