XMTR Festival Selects: Making Utopia

Mitra Kaboli (US 2025)

39 min

Making Utopia is an experimental oral history about Mount Lebanon in upstate New York. This story explores a single tract of land that has repeatedly drawn communities seeking to create their own perfect world.

The narrative weaves together the stories of five individuals from different eras and communities connected to this remarkable place. While Mount Lebanon is most famously known as the central ministry for The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as The Shakers, the mountain's story extends far beyond this well-documented chapter.

Through these interconnected histories, Making Utopia investigates a compelling question: What mysterious qualities draw idealistic communities to this particular place, generation after generation?

Producer & Reporter:  Mitra Kaboli
Production Manager & Editor: Jess Shane
Additional Editorial Support: Jackson Roach, Liza Yeager, and Signal Hill
Singers: Annabel Lee, Fiona Feng, Jacqui Cornetta, Kira Josefsson, Rider Alsop, Carly Richman, Savannah Strenz, Hanna Johansson, Sanna Samuelsson

Archival Audio Courtesy of Soundings Mindful Media archive, by Dean & Dudley Evenson.
Making Utopia is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

---

XMTR Festival Selects: In A Cowshell

Miri Berlin (DE 2025)

9 min

The electroacoustic composition „In A Cowshell“ is based on field recordings that capture the sonic microcosm of a cowshed, interweaving and abstracting its sound world. It follows the course of the milking process — from the magical stillness as the cows enter and take their places, to the rhythmic drive of the machines, drawing you in — gradually giving way to calm again as the milking ends. Finally, the cows leave the barn, guided by the farmers’ calls back to the pasture — marking the close of the piece.

Produced by Miri Berlin

---

I Dream Of Water: The Well, The Bay, The Sea

Susanne Lambert (UK 2025)

7 min

This is part of a body of work is about people's relationships with water, based around a set of audio recordings from various people Suzanne knows. She asked contributors to share something about a place of water they have strong memories of, or connections to, and to say something about what feelings are evoked in the place.

Susanne set the audio messages within new compositions (including found sounds and field recordings) in different ways to create a series of pieces. She has combined improvised open passages (drums/clarinet/piano/synth) with more considered and formulated sections, in an attempt to echo, mirror and juxtapose the words, and build imagery around the stories shared.

The series will eventually also include factual information, alongside the personal connective elements, as an opportunity to examine the diverse and sometimes contradictory elements of our human relationship to water.

Produced by Susanne Lambert aka Suzi Lamb

Listen to the collection

---

XMTR Radio Hour #36: Festival Preview

Produced by Social Broadcasts (UK 2025)

60 min / Episode 36 of 36

This XMTR (Transmitter) Radio Hour features a selection of audio works that have been submitted to xmtr.fm: Nanou Thassinda tells her story of belonging and acceptance in the UK through a study of regional accents in Life in Progress by Phoebe Macindoe, Chloe Turpin has uncomfortable conversations with her family in Brittany about a shameful event concerning her grandmother Emmeline during WW2 in Shorn Women, and Giacomo Bagni has to come to terms with the replacement son that his father has chosen to spend time with in Brothers. 

XMTR Radio Hour Produced by Lucia Scazzocchio

Follow the series

---

Baring All in The Name of Art

Minnie Harrop (UK 2023)

13 min

What does it mean to bare all in the name of art? Life drawing is standard practice in the art world. Artists come together to draw a model who poses completely nude, often directed by a tutor. With nudity practically taboo in Western society, it is one of the few instances in which nakedness is normalised. For many people, life drawing is an unfamiliar concept, and life modelling completely unimaginable. This programme is unique in connecting the experiences of artists, models and tutors, and illuminating a community that is perhaps under-explored in documentary media.

Produced by Minnie Harrop
Music: 'Slow Jam 1' by King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard

---

Reality Looks Back

Anne Jeppesen (DK, 2025)

Annejeppesen · Reality looks back

21 min

When you watch a particle it acts like a particle. But when you look away, it does a whole other thing.

This story explores modes of experiencing the strange quantum basis of an everyday life. It journeys through split déja-vu, Schrödinger’s hamster and the clouds of possibilities that are hiding just beyond our reach.

This piece was developed as a part of the YASS! Mentorship program facilitated by Radio Papesse and mentored by Cristal Duhaime.

Written and Produced by Anne Jeppeseen

---

The Box

Oliver Morris (UK 2025)

4 min

A thought and sound experiment. Initially a blueprint for a shelved audio drama, the piece explores how the sound field could be used to add and take away colour from a scene. The piece consists of a short rambling voice note to the writer by the sound designer, complete with diagetic music and sound, that has then been filtered to add to the emotion of the scene. This is the box.

Produced by Oliver Morris

---

The Farage Files

Fin Kennedy (UK 2025)

18 min

An AI-assisted comedy podcast series featuring a voice clone of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in conversation with Applied Stories' artistic director Fin Kennedy. Note: some content NSFW or under 16s!

Written, produced and edited by Fin Kennedy

Follow the Series

---

Shadow and Light

Keyari Page (UK 2025)

9 min

Shadow and Light is a historic podcast experience where we embark on a poetic journey, time-traveling to reclaim forgotten narratives. Hosted by Keyari Page, this series shines a spotlight on unsung heroes and ignites their stories through the power of original verse and immersive soundscapes. Keyari masterfully crafts each poem, drawing inspiration from the lives, courage, and powerful words of these remarkable figures, often weaving in lines from their own profound work or documented truths, ensuring their legacy is not just remembered, but reborn.

Produced, sound designed and narrated by Keyari Page

Follow the Series

---

Witch, Please!

Yasmine Alice (UK 2025)

7 min

Marnie, a mediocre witch with anger issues, faces judgement from her family members and town folks for turning 30 years old and still being unwed. Thereupon, she agrees to go on numerous dates, all of which fail miserably.

This 4-part episodic audio comedy series brings voice actors from all around the world together.

Follow The Series

Directed/Written by Yasmine Alice
Sound Design by Cam Evans, Original
Music by Simone Micieli
Produced by Bastet Productions

---