The new release features selections from the interdisciplinary performance of the same name. The production is directed by acclaimed poet Arisa White and choreographer Laurel Jenkins. The performance features The Dance Company of Middlebury and cellist Robin Lane. The show premiered on January 17th, 2025, at the Middlebury College Dance Theatre, with a subsequent performance at Mechanics’ Hall in Portland, Maine, on January 25th, 2025.
Inspired by the Opera
The music of Willow’s Apothecary is inspired by the rich mythological world of White’s Post Pardon: The Opera. It draws inspiration from environmental elements. Some of these elements are woven into the fabric of the soundscape. Each track is purposefully minimal, which suits its relationship with movement.
Regarding the writing process, Macionis explains:
“The music emerged through observation, experimentation, and play. I’m particularly inspired by how dancers express themselves through their bodies. My role was to tap into that embodied state and transform it live into a musical score that followed the performance’s narrative arc, which Arisa’s text and performance guided. Though our time working together in the same room was brief, we created something that speaks to our current moment—a time in which we are all unpacking our collective history and working toward healing.”
Macionis, Songwriter
At times, the music drifts subtly in the background. It guides the listener inward. This quality is reinforced by the use of meditative sounds and textures throughout the EP. These range from singing bowls and prayer bells to vinyl crackle and field recordings. At other times, the music dances over layers of earthly rhythms, grounding the listening experience while evoking a sense of equanimity.
EP:
Artist: Alighted
Release: Willow’s Apothecary
Label: Wandering Astray
Release Date: May 23, 2025
About Alighted
Alighted is a multidisciplinary artist collective based in New York City, weaving light, sound, and movement into immersive sensory experiences. His work is rooted in transformation—of light, of emotion, of self. Blurring the boundaries between the seen and the felt, Alighted crafts pieces that invite viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the raw, poetic undercurrents of life.
The created soundscapes creations are quiet rebellions against the noise of the world. They achieve this through immersive visuals, layered soundscapes, or delicate textures. These are gentle reminders that beauty often flickers in the shadows before it blazes into being.
Alighted draws inspiration from fleeting moments: dusk on a city street, a forgotten melody, the hush before a storm. Symbolizing arrival, illumination, and the act of becoming—and their art reflects that journey, one spark at a time.
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