A Synthesized Universe

Overview

For his next gig, Kiwi indie singer-songwriter Anthonie Tonnon is collaborating with the universe. A Synthesized Universe sees the singer performing at the Auckland Stardome while the planetarium operates in real time. Accompanying the already spectacular visuals of the universe are custom animations by Andrew Charlton and a light show controlled by Tonnon's synthesizer-sampler. The end result is a wondrous, multi-sensory 360-degree night sky performance.

Anthonie Tonnon is known for taking a theatrical approach to his live gigs. "Some gigs are really boring, unfortunately. We set ourselves some really bad traditions, this lack of trust between the audience and the performer. Everybody is lying about starting times, or when they'll turn up. There's a tendency at rock shows of paying attention for the first song, form a large semi circle in front of the stage well away from the band, and then after the second song to start talking. It's terrible." He told NZ Musician. "I want to create something that breaks up the traditions. I'm not bothered about people talking – you're fighting against something you can't control. But I can perform. I know if I can do something strange, make people move their hands, and tell them to move forward like they're a boat on the water, I create a sense of shock. People forget how to act, they stop what they're doing and start taking in the show in a different way.”

The Auckland Stardome has been housed in Auckland's One Tree Hill Domain since 1967. In 1997 the Stardome opened New Zealand's first and still largest Planetarium theatre, where A Synthesized Universe will be performed.