Showcase: Sentinel Creatives
Immersive Audio Stories | Small Independent Press
Dear Reader,
I’ve finally gotten around to a new type of post called “Showcase”. It’ll function as a sort of review section of The Storyletter where I’ll pick something I’m enjoying (I like to keep it positive) and share why I think it’s great. This could include people, places, products, entertainment, companies and experiences. I hope you like this format and we’ll see where it goes.
Discovery
I don’t personally know anyone from Sentinel Creatives, but I’ve had a few interactions with them online, mainly Twitter and Instagram. They seem like nice folks. Based on the info from their official website, they are a small team based out of Cape Town, South Africa.
I stumbled across Sentinel Creatives one day after listening to the Arthadian Anthologies podcast. I want to say that Spotify had recommended it based on my recent listening habits. The thing is, I really like audiobooks. I actually might have a problem with sitting in one place for any extended period of time. I still read physical books, but in short bursts of 15 minute increments. So whenever I see a way to listen to a story instead of reading it, I pounce immediately.
Upon recognizing the very Lovecraftian tones and the available backlog of stories, I was extremely intrigued to say the least. When I started listening to the first story, I realized it was far more than just your average audiobook experience. That’s when I was hooked.
What is immersive audio?
Bit of backstory; I had an idea for audio storytelling utilizing sound effects back in 2009 when my dad was sleeping through an episode of Battlestar Galactica. I didn’t know anything about the show, but as I was writing in the other room I heard the intense action sequences and found myself following along with the story. I was almost more interested in the show because I couldn’t see it and I was imagining what the characters and action scenes looked like.
In 2015, I discovered a company called GraphicAudio working on full-cast recordings of best-selling novels with music and sound effects. I’ve been listening to Brandon Sanderson’s Elantris from GraphicAudio and it’s so distinct and memorable (I’m also biased to anything Sanderson though). This deterred me from pursuing the nutty idea since it seemed that someone had already cracked it wide open.
Cut to 2021, that’s where Sentinel Creatives comes into the picture. After finding their profile on Spotify, I followed them on their social media and saw that they were developing an audio series to be released weekly called, “The Meridian Watch”. I listened to the first episode and was blown away by the voice acting, soundtrack, and implementation of sound effects. Here is a summary of what it is about:
Midstadt used to be a monarchy. Until it wasn’t. Now, 100 years after the blood of the last king flowed from the steps of Parliament Square, another rotting empire has the jewel of the Ragged Sea in its sights. It means to bring them into its fold, to swallow up the fledgling republic before the fires of its industries can sweep across the world.
But in Midstadt, they’ve found something…something they shouldn’t have…
While anarchists wage battle with monarchists beneath the streets, and war brews in the South, Sergeant James Delwar and the officers of the Meridian Watch begin an investigation that will take them to the distant heights of the old aristocracy, and to its very depths. It’s not just the city that’s at stake, but their souls, too.
Black powder squares off against black magic in this epic dark fantasy police procedural starring Scott Miller, Anna Capraro, Paul Casselle, and Tim Redman.
The Style of Sentinel
Another element of why I like their content is the strong thematic leanings toward cosmic horror and the distinct Lovecraftian feel. They have a wonderful catalog of immersive stories that I listened to while waiting between weekly episodes of The Meridian Watch.
There’s Esca, which follows a marine biologist on her maiden voyage into the depths of the Mariana trench.
Honengyo has strong Godzilla-vibes but set in feudal Japan.
With The Bone Fields you get a Viking horror story that really satisfied my craving for more atmospheric stories like Hellblade.
One of my favorite productions by Sentinel Creatives has been His Black Tongue. It’s a medieval horror story set in 14th century France during the plague following a friar and his ward as they enter a town shrouded by an evil, demonic presence. I highly-recommend this one!
How to Show Support
I discovered that they have a Patreon. On their Patreon, there are several tiers for patrons, one of which you can even be a minor voice role in one of their productions. That’s so cool!
They are also on Audible, so throwing some credits their way would be really beneficial. Or simply listening to them on Spotify or YouTube, and then sharing your favorites with friends and family would probably be the most effective way to enjoy and support their content.
Final Thoughts
I label myself of fan of their work. The future potential of the audio landscape is growing at a rapid rate. I would like to see more indie companies take up recording as it has become extremely accessible and widely-distributable over the past decade. With their available catalog, Sentinel Creatives has a great foundation for new listeners to discover what they have to offer and I anticipate great things in the near future.
As some of you know, I’m recording my own stories from The Storyletter with music and sound effects, but I’m learning the process and am nowhere near the production level of Sentinel Creatives. However, I’m working on a new YouTube channel and will likely change access to paid-only episodes from exclusive to early access instead in order to reach a wider audience.
Let me know what you think about Sentinel Creatives down in the comments. I’m very eager to chat about audiobooks and the future of immersive audio. What is your experience with recording and do you like it? Happy Wednesday everyone! ~ WM
Wow! Thank you for the kind words and for including us as a part of your Showcase! This means a lot and I'll be sure to share this with the others in the team!
This sounds interesting. I'm trying to incorporate more audiobooks because there's just not enough time to READ all the books I want to! Being able to listen while I'm driving, walking, gardening, on the tractor, whatever is a great way to get in extra book time. (I don't do anything too mentally taxing at the same time.) The only problem I personally have with audio (books, podcasts, etc.) is that it's easy for me to get distracted or zone out. I'll miss important parts and get lost :-( I'd be curious to see if a more immersive audio would help keep listeners better focused? Or could it be distracting from other activities (like driving)? I guess it all depends on the listener and how they use the recordings, but it's definitely worth exploring!