Music & Sound Design for Film, Animation, Brand, Fashion, & Installations (Favorites)

“From sound designing [artist] Nick Cave’s Barneys New York installation to sharing bills with Yaeji, J-Cush and The Sun Ra Arkestra, the Brooklyn-based producer is a multidisciplinary whose borders are nonexistent.” —Dummy Mag

Nordstrom, ft. John Waters & Fran Drescher: The Blizz—An Interactive Holiday Adventure
In-Store Takeover & Online via Total Management

Sonic Identity, Original Music & Sound Design, Voiceover Direction, Music Supervision & Licensing, Recording Engineering, Sound System Design & Installation, & Acoustics for 13 installations.

Credits:
Inflatable Characters Voiced by John Waters & Fran Drescher
Script & Project-Wide Creative Direction by Thom Bettridge (editor in chief of i-D Magazine) @thomthomclub
Project-Wide Creative Direction by Matthew Mazzuca (former creative director of Barneys New York) @mmazzucca
Illustration & Animation by Anthony Ferrara @anthonyferrarany
Sonic Identity, Music & Sound Design, VO Direction, Music Supervision, Recording Engineering, Sound System Design & Installation, & Acoustics: by MegaBloom Audio (honnda98point6), Amnon Freidlin, Jake Lichter, Luke Macdonald
Graphic Design by Gian Gisiger (long-time graphic designer behind Balenciaga)
Creative Direction (for the Pigeonthia Installation) by Desi Santiago (Madonna-creative director)
Brought together by Justinian Kfoury @totaljbird of Total Management
Fabrication by: @hiltprojects @tangiblecreative_official @landmarkcreations

MegaBloom Audio's Role:
MBA spearheaded the audio experience for Nordstrom’s The Blizz on 57th Street, featuring larger-than-life inflatable characters voiced by the legendary John Waters and the iconic Fran Drescher. This innovative project drove on-site customer engagement and generated buzz on social media across generations of visitors.

An immersive soundscape was created throughout Nordstrom’s five-story flagship store in Manhattan. The audio team directed voiceover sessions with John Waters and Fran Drescher, crafting a variety of character profiles through inventive sound design. Customer sonic touchpoints were enriched with original musical compositions, dynamic sound beds, interactive VO by Waters and Drescher, and captivating audio effects.

Drawing talent from leading roles at MoMA PS1, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and other prestigious institutions, the 12-person team executed the extensive in-store takeover. This involved fabricating custom audio device housings, providing acoustic treatments, and installing pendant speakers of varying throws. Advanced ultrasonic speakers from HoloSonics were incorporated, ensuring focused sonic experiences while minimizing unwanted noise spillover, thereby enhancing customer comfort.

The result was a captivating and surreal sonic environment that made The Blizz a memorable holiday experience.

Press Coverage

Experience "Wonder All The Way/Blizz On 57th" in person at the Nordstrom flagship NYC store during store hours. From 10 AM to 7 PM, an attendant at the Pigeonthia Installation will guide you through the interactive adventure.

Barneys New York (2011-2019)
Lead Composer & Sound Designer for Artist & Brand Collaborations with:

Nick Cave (Artist), Louise Bourgeois, Christian Louboutin, Maison Margiela, Lexus, Prada, and More

Under the direction of Matthew Mazzucca & Dennis Freedman, Barneys Creative Director & VP

Led music, sound design, and voice over casting/recording/direction for 15 large-scale productions. This spanned animation, video, interactive AV, social media experience, and art installations.

Selected score cues:

Music & Sound Design for Barneys 2016 Window Installations & Social Media

By Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park), Rob Pruitt, and Studio Job — original music for exclusive window installations "We Are Prism featuring Honnda," and sound design/composition for artist Nick Cave, and Ebony G. Patterson. December, 2016.

Sound, non-linear composition, UI, and interaction design inspired by city life and the refuge found in nature. The work explores the ability to toggle between sonic environments (Oceanic vs Woodlands) and sonic functions (sound design and music). Channeling immersive, wellness and meditative energy, it draws from eco and ambient-inspired genres. 

Production Information
• 100% of the SFX were built via synthesis, recorded, or sourced and meticulously reimagined and crafted.

• Various aquatic sounds recorded on a SoundFish ASF-1 MKII hydrophone in Northeast United States, as well as other field recordings in Placencia, Belize, and Cozumel’s Mesoamerican Reef.
• Additional dolphin-like sounds made by sound designer’s vocalizations. These were layered with effected sea mammal and bird sounds.
• Suspended harmonies used to evoke the feeling of floating
• Processed vocals and sine wave glissandos evoke sea creature and siren-like calls, in addition to being used as synth pads.
• Libraries used: Everyday Foley Volume I, BBC Nature Sound Effects Library, Pacific Northwest. and Waves Wind Water, Travel Essentials Drum Collection