appa wú wéi by liila (Ess Whiteley and Danielle Davis) from Sound Wonders, released October 8, 2021

A compilation curated by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith of music by artists: Elori Saxl, Matthewdavid, liila, Emile Mosseri, Yialmelic Frequencies, Nailah Hunter, Green-House, Emily Ritz, and SK Kakraba.

Sound Wonders: A Series of Epics is the second compilation from Touchtheplants, the imprint and multidisciplinary creative environment founded by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Following 2020's Breathing Instruments, the new collection features sonic responses to a new prompt. Like its predecessor (which explored music as an extension of the human body and the natural world), the medium of focus here dates back to ancient civilizations. Smith invited artists to compose music based on the idea of epics: the long poems and narrative verse works that have detailed deeds and adventures since the dawn of storytelling. The musicians — some of today's most exciting practitioners of experimental sound design, instrumentation, and synthesis — took this directive loosely, realizing a series of vibrant and transportive songs evoking wondrous visions, subjects, and locales.