Jack, Ruby, & ZBS

[ =Flash ~ =WebLink ~ =56KAudio ]

He is a good storyteller who can turn men's ears into eyes.

The audio dramas of ZBS Media fold real sounds into their surreal stories. Recordings they gather around the world often become integral parts of their plots. Producer Tom Lopez calls it "writing with sound."

Tim Clark's original music propels these productions, wrapping you in stereo sound -- you might hear steam trains in Bombay, samba frogs in Brazil, or an old Berber adage...

Every road has two directions.

Trust in Allah, but tie your camel first.
(5:08) This is the soundscape that introduces Moon over Morocco, one of the ZBS series of Jack Flanders' adventures. We hear Jack's flight from London Heathrow Airport to the streets of Marrakesh. Says producer Tom Lopez: "I recorded the voice of the stewardess and the pilot coming through a speaker above my seat... it sounds real because it is real."
Writing with Sound
One of a series of Stories1st.org articles about the craft of writing and making audio art. Tom Lopez lends his insight into the art of storytelling through the sounds around us. Tom takes questions and plays ZBS MP3s (including the above camel clip).
Berber Sayings from Moon Over Morocco
A collection of Berber quotes used in the Jack Flanders series.

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

Ruby and Angel
(2:36) Episode 4 of the Ruby 1 series. The time is the 21stcentury, the planet is Summa Nulla (the "high point of nothing"), crossroads of the galaxy. Ruby is a Galactic Gumshoe, a good one. She's been hired to find out who is manipulating reality in the Crystal City. Ruby dodges the Slimies (biogenetically engineered assassins), and discovers Angel Lips (a pleasure model Frankie built by the Lazarus Android Works), and the multi-tendriled Tuka: "I'm looking at a thing with four tentacles, three eyes, a thin blue mustache, and wearing a red fez..."
Ruby One
Listen to the entire series Ruby 1: The Adventures of a Galactic Gumshoe. It's online at ZBS.org as Quicktime® soundfiles.

Every sheep hangs by his own legs.

Few desires, happy life.

Donna Checks Out Her Life
(4:12) Donna Dollardaze, the supermarket checker, scans the items in her existence. A scene from the ZBS radio soap opera Saratogao Springs, dealing with the lives and loves of the characters in this charming town. The Best of Saratoga Springs is a 2-CD set distilled this 6-hour series.
Whirlitzer of Wisdoms - ZBS Discussion
A discussion forum for fans of ZBS to talk about their favorite characters and stories, moderated by Mustapha, certified public storyteller, the Whirlitzer of Wisdoms.

The fish in the trap begin to think.

Singing Frogs of the Pantanal
(3:30) An audio essay, by Tom Lopez, on nomenclature and noises, inspired by a Brazilian amphibian. Premiered on "An Hour of Earth Day," a (((HearingVoices))) Earth Day special. (To air soon on NPR Living on Earth
Remote Recording Survival Guide
A Transom.org/Tools article. Tom Lopez gives the basics of going on the road and bringing your work AND yourself back intact. "The jungle was screaming, and every minute, new creatures were joining in, layers and layers of shrieking sounds. I thought they'd pierce my eardrums. It was one solid wall of screaming and shrieking... getting louder every minute. And, to top it off, it's now pitch black, I can't even see myself. Now what the hell is that thing? It sounds like a coughing jaguar!"

The jungle will not be without a tiger.

Down on the Electronic Farm
(2:36) One more performance by the Android Sisters. This one's a kind of children's song -- for the virtual children of the future. The Android Sisters Greatest Hits is the debut CD of Angel and Angel.
Audio Theater - Tom Lopez Profile
Roger Gregg of Ireland's Crazy Dog Audio Theatre talks to Tom Lopez about ZBS, which means: "'Zero Bull Shit'. A high ideal I'm still attempting to live up to [laughs]. We don't normally tell people that. We couldn't really go to the National Endowment for the Arts representing ourselves from the 'Zero Bull Shit Foundation'. So we just made it 'ZBS'."

The barking of dogs does not hurt the clouds.

Audio/Text/Photos © 2002 ZBS Media