Richard Sontaag’s “Paradise of Rain” Defines a New Audiobook Listening Experience By Combining Songs, Narration and Music
“Paradise of Rain,” created by progressive rock musician Richard Sontaag, will be released first on the Audible audiobook platform on January 30, 2024. Specially developed for the audiobook format, “Paradise of Rain” is a new sonic experience for music and audiobook listeners. It’s the first audio novel to use music and songs, as well as narration, to tell a story, and it brings something innovative to the world of audiobooks.
“Paradise of Rain” is an intriguing blend of fantasy and music, taking readers on a journey through a surreal woodland realm whose destiny lies in the hands of a redoubtable young heroine. Words and melodies intertwine to weave the tale of Butterfly, a courageous young soul determined to break the bonds of an inescapable genetic destiny. Trapped in the Paradise of Rain, a dreamlike forest teeming with woodland life, Butterfly encounters a myriad of surreal creatures—some aid her in her quest, while others prove to be lethal adversaries. A dangerous encounter with the colossal moth-like Zepplemoth irrevocably alters Butterfly’s path. Can she muster the strength to untangle the genetic threads of her fate and save the Paradise of Rain?
“The Zepplemoth is truly the best creature anyone created in 2023!” – Grady Hendrix, bestselling author of “Horrorstor” and “How to Sell a Haunted House”
“Listeners will certainly be treated to a new kind of experience with ‘Paradise of Rain.’ It’s a new type of audiobook which uses different styles of music to tickle all the sonic senses,” says Richard Sontaag. “There’s music, there’s storytelling, and there’s actual songs.”
The international cast of “Paradise of Rain” hails from as far apart as New York, London, Latvia and the Ukraine. New York-based Richard Sontaag wrote the story and the songs, composed the music, and produced the audiobook. Richard’s earlier music album Sontaag, a collaboration with esteemed rock critic Ian Fortnam, and celebrated British record producer Youth, mixed narration with rock music, and inspired him to create the fully fledged musical audiobook “Paradise of Rain.”
London-based actress Olivia G Warren brought her mellifluous tones to the narration. Vocalist Evija Sloka, a well-known musical figure in her native land of Latvia, brought passion and sensitivity to the lead role of Butterfly. Heavy metal singer Olha Lishchyshyn sent her vocal tracks direct from the Ukraine.
“Using narration, songs and music mean that the possibilities for expression are almost limitless, and there are an infinite number of ways to tell a story. It’s like writing a novel in 3D. It’s designed to translate to all kinds of different media. Our audiobook is just the first stage of ‘Paradise of Rain’s journey into the metaverse,” Richard says.
Click here to listen to a seven-minute extract of the narration and songs on Soundcloud:https://soundcloud.com/richard-sontaag/paradise-of-rain-extract-2
