It’s a warm, mid-summer morning, the sun has barely risen. You only had to press snooze twice, but there’s no time to waste. Sleep can wait for the seven emails from the office requesting tasks out of your paygrade. Gym first, of course, but set a reminder to pick up dinner after work because it’ll be too hot to cook and the perfect temperature for scrolling.
It’s the life most of us are accustomed to, and it’s a tale as old as – well, it’s not that old at all. The practice of slowing down and looking inwards is long lost, but one of high importance, says the artist behind Tribal Sound Journey, Matthew Benjamin.
“I think in this fast-paced, modern world full of distraction and an idealisation of business, this music gives people an opportunity to slow down, to breathe and to create a mental and emotional stillness.”
“The show is an offering that I like to call a sound journey. I take audiences with me from one place to another. I start the show with a bit of a meditation. I encourage people to bring blankets or yoga mats, and it’s a bit of a sound bath at first.”
“As it progresses, the tempo really picks up and it invites release and expression through dance fuelled by that high energy, high vibe; I guess you could call it the original EDM!”
“What I really groove on is seeing people just jumping”
The “other place” is not one set in stone, but one lead directly by those experiencing it, with Benjamin explaining that he would “love listeners to come away from the show feeling connected to each other; the connection that happens between musician and listeners is a sacred bond”.
The show, titled Gateways, will have its Fringe debut this year, and Benjamin has formulated an experience consisting of 15 of his original songs, with almost as many instruments.
“I play mainly the Yidaki [Yolŋu word meaning Digeridoo] and most of the ones I play I built myself… I also play the handpan, which is a beautiful melodic instrument, I do a little bit on the Native American drone flute, a jaw harp, a cajon, at times I pull out the djembe [West African drum], I’m using a kick pedal stomp box, live loop station, vocal chanting to create texture, and that’s all the instruments… at least for now!”
All of this implementation is not without purpose. Matthew says that he has trained hard to become a “multi-instrumental octopus” partly because he loves the craft, and partly so he can deliver the full and rich experience that only live music can provide.
“When you’ve got live music, its unpredictable, it could go anywhere. It could stop, there could be silences – and there will be. I think in those moments of silence there lives a world of sound.”
“I really like the rhythmical elements and high energy stuff, but what I really groove on is seeing people just jumping. There’s a certain tempo you hit in the music where people just can’t help but move.”
Benjamin says that through the show, he hopes audiences can not only enjoy the Adelaide Hills scenery and find connection through music, but also overcome self-imposed stigmas.
“There seems to be a lot of inhibitions about moving your body, so we start really simple, moving freely into our bodies to start getting that body memory happening again.”
Whether you are looking for a reason to slow down and look inwards, or simply appreciate the craftsmanship of live music, Tribal Sound Journey’s show at the Farm for Wellbeing in Flaxley is one that wants you to be involved.
As for what Benjamin hopes, audiences might begin to question the “fast-paced nature of our world”, or at the very least walk away thinking, “Wow, that was an experience.”
Tribal Sound Journey, The Farm for Wellbeing, until 21 March