Kickstarter

Samsara comes from the traditional Sanskrit word  used to denote the cycle of birth, life, death, and reincarnation. Within the KarmetiK Machine Orchestra, Samsara is our own story of rebirth as told by the musical interpretations of several traditional Indian fables; this production will premiere at REDCAT in the Walt Disney Concert Hall for two nights on April 12th and 13th, 2012.

Hindu philosophy embraces the concept of reincarnation as a way to learn, grow, and evolve. Samsara pulls ancient Sanskrit fables from the Panchatantra which reflect on classic dilemmas of morality. These fables often use a mixture of humans and animals in each story. Samsara is uniquely positioned to use the inventions of the Machine Orchestra to perform these stories in a novel, unconventional way.

Culture, society, time, and especially ingenuity are all core traits in the evolution of music. With Samsara, old stories can be embraced in a new format combining music, dance, theatre, and technology.  At present, Samsara is the result of 14 months of work with 25 humans and 10 musical robots working to bring the fables into our modern age. Speakers, robots, dancers, animation and live musicians will surround and immerse the audience to create an environment where these stories are told.

Under the guidance and mentorship of Trimpin, McArthur Genius award recipient and godfather of kinetic sound sculpture, The KarmetiK Machine Orchestra has developed an array of new inventions informed by his years of innovative performance. Trimpin has been commissioned to help with the realization of Samsara. He is preparing new kinetic instruments and music for one of the ancient tales in the show.

Samsara is directed by Ajay Kapur and Michael Darling. Special guest artists include the legendary interactive electronic performers Curtis Bahn and Tomie Hahn, choreographer Raakhi Kapur and animator Jason Jahnke.

With the support of KickStarter, we will fund the completion costs of this momentous concert, including post-production costs. We need your help! Thank you for your support.