\u201cParadise of Rain,\u201d 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, \u201cParadise of Rain\u201d is a new sonic experience for music and audiobook listeners. It\u2019s 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.\u00a0
\u201cParadise of Rain\u201d 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\u2014some aid her in her quest, while others prove to be lethal adversaries. A dangerous encounter with the colossal moth-like Zepplemoth irrevocably alters Butterfly\u2019s path. Can she muster the strength to untangle the genetic threads of her fate and save the Paradise of Rain?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Zepplemoth is truly the best creature anyone created in 2023!\u201d – Grady Hendrix, bestselling author of \u201cHorrorstor\u201d and \u201cHow to Sell a Haunted House\u201d<\/em>
\u201cListeners will certainly be treated to a new kind of experience with \u2018Paradise of Rain.\u2019 It\u2019s a new type of audiobook which uses different styles of music to tickle all the sonic senses,\u201d says Richard Sontaag. \u201cThere\u2019s music, there\u2019s storytelling, and there\u2019s actual songs.\u201d\u00a0
The international cast of \u201cParadise of Rain\u201d 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\u2019s 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 \u201cParadise of Rain.\u201d\u00a0
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.\u00a0
\u201cUsing 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\u2019s like writing a novel in 3D. It\u2019s designed to translate to all kinds of different media. Our audiobook is just the first stage of \u2018Paradise of Rain\u2019s journey into the metaverse,\u201d Richard says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n