Category: Reviews

As regulars to these pages will know, one of the aspects of region design I tend to keep an ear out for and appreciate, is that of a well-crafted ambient sound scape. In fact, not only do I listen for local ambient sounds when visiting regions, I also use them in both my public and private builds; hence why I was intrigued when my Redoubtable Region Spy Shawn Shakespeare (SkinnyNilla) passed me an LM to Hear How Your Landscape Should Sound, and decided to hop and take a look (and listen) sooner rather than later.

Designed by ElizabethNantesJewell and region holder Electric Monday, the region – which I’m going to abbreviate to HHYLSS, even if that does sound like a riff on Douglas Adams’ The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy – is intended to offer a demonstration of how the considered use of sounds can enhance a setting, notably by using Electric Monday’s Bunyi brand of ambient sounds (her store can be found tucked into a corner of the region and is used as the landing point in this article).

Beyond the store, the land is split into a number of interlinked environments that form a natural, rolling landscape in which collections of related sounds can be found, each element of which can be purchased on encountering it via little tree-trunk pedestals that also provide a description of the sound being heard. These sounds for a small selection of those found in the store, and range from bird song to the sound of water bubbling through a brook to the buzzing of bees, the call of sheep and lambs, and more. As well as hosting these sounds, the setting itself offers plenty of opportunity for rural / pastoral photography, including as it does woodland, rolling fields, a Zen garden, and a climb up a stubby finger of rock to the cabin at its peak as attractions.

The landscaping itself comes from a number of creators I particularly appreciate as I use their work myself. These include Cube Republic, Alex Bader, Lilith Heart Sasaya Kayo (Happy Mood), and there reside here together with elements by the likes of Kendra Zaurak (Fanatik), Cari McKeenan (The Little Branch), Krystali Rabeni (Love) and more – all of which means the regions is also ripe with potential landscaping ideas. In some instances it would seem that these creators may have inspired Electric in her range of sound systems – her Zen Garden sounds, for example would mapper to offer a good fit with  Alex’s Studio Skye Zen Garden kit (a personal favourite of mine).

Of course, a lot of landscaping creators also provide sounds of their own to go with items they sell: Alex, for example provides the sound of flowing, tumbling water in his river building kits and his waterfall kits come with sound systems as well, but what Electric and other creators like her offer are broader sounds, individual and in collections, that can help add depth to a setting, be it an entire region or a modest parcel, and – in Electric’s case at least – offer sounds based on geographical locations – North America, Eurasia, the tropics, etc., helping to focus an ambient sound scape on any theme represented by a region / parcel build.

That said, I would emphasise this article should not be seen as an endorsement of the sound found within the region. Not because I have any issue with them, but simply because as I have a system I’m long familiar with and which offers the range and flexibility of use I require, I’ve no pressing need to add others sound emitters to my inventory, no matter how reasonably priced. So, if you are considering purchasing anything from the Bunyi range, I recommend you do your own homework first to ensure you’re happy with your choice.

Nevertheless, HHYLSS offers a good example of the considered use of local sounds and their placement within a region / parcel, and presents a place that has several opportunities of photography, thus making it an interesting both to visit and as a generator of ideas.

SLurl Details

• Hear How Your Landscape Should Sound (Bunyi, rated Moderate)

In July, Vally Lavender opened the latest iteration of her region of [Valium] with a new design by Dandy Warhlol (Terry Fotherington). Entitled Suaka, the Indonesian term for “sanctuary” it was initially  offered as a special retreat for [Valium] group members, but has since been opened to the general SL populace. It stands as an engaging, restful setting, rich in opportunities for escape and for photography (see: A sanctuary with a touch of Indonesia in Second Life).

She has now added to the estate with the arrival of a second Full region, and has again engaged Terry to handle the landscaping with the intent to extend the idea of refuge and respite – in which he has admirably succeeded -, and she kindly offered me an invitation to visit as the region opened to [Valium] group members (L$395 joining fee) – although the region will be open to the general public from Monday, September 6th, 2021, for a period of time.

Entitled Seiiki, the Japanese term for “sanctuary”, the new region sits to the south of Suaka, the two separated by a narrow band of water passing between their respective sandy shorelines, a path of stones breaching the water to provide a dry passage between the two. Crossing this path not only allows visitors to pass between the two regions with ease, it also moves them between two settings with very different root influences, for while Suaka draws on Indonesia and other parts of south-east Asia, Siieki draws its inspiration from Japan with touches of China sitting within it.

From is northern beach, Seiiki also presents a very different terrain to Sauka, although the two do flow together quite naturally. Where the latter is predominantly low-lying, Seiiki rises swiftly from its beach to present a rocky vista of cliffs, plateaux, hard shoulders of rock and flat-topped peaks that sit as foothills to the green mountains that rise beyond it. It is also a richly wooded location, the lower slopes home to dense coverings of what appear to be bamboo palms of the Rhapis genus, thus giving the first tilt of the region towards China, where this particular bamboo palm is common.

These woods flank a small valley leading inland and reached via steps that run up from the beach to a simple Torii gate. This little valley is home to a small café and is clearly the preserve of another Chinese influence: panda bears. These have clearly decided the stubby valley is theirs by rights, and a mix of small family groups and lone adults have marked out their little spaces within it, wandering, playing, eating and – in one case, at least – seek the bear necessities of life, be they bamboo fronds or catching some rays whilst perched in the natural curve of a Palmetto tree trunk!

It is from this little valley that explorations of the rest of the region all commence. On the east side, just beyond the café, stone steps climb up to a low promontory of rock with its flanks heavy with the bamboo palms mentioned above by way of a small gateway. On reaching the top of this finger of a hill, the path quickly offers a choice for those reaching it: tarry at the broad pond where duck play, follow a path leading back north along the shoulder to where a second, shaded pond hides, the home to koi and a simple little shack that is home to a cuddle-point, or venture further up into the hills by means of a choice of routes.

The first of these routes takes the form of narrow planks laid over the grass that wind past an abandoned hut by the side of the pond to reach a bridge, beyond which sits Seiiki’s little end-of-the-line train station, a small terminus on a single-track line. The second route follows the stone steps as they continue upwards to reach what might have once been a shrine set within its own walled rock garden but which is now a place for yoga and meditation as it sits neatly on a square plateau of rock that looks down over the head of the region’s central valley.

This valley head takes the form of what might generally be a peaceful pond, reached from the café along a grassy path in part marked by scattering of small white stones. The pond is watched over by a figure of Buddha offering his blessing, adding to its sense of peace, and who is in turn guarded by two Japanese crane. However, it is fair to say the serenity here may at times be broken by the hissing rumble of steam trains (or just the rumble of locomotives, given the track has overhead powerline for electric trains) as they pass over a trestle bridge that spans the gap between two tunnels above a small reservoir located upslope from Buddha and his pond.

Reached via a short set of steps, the wall of the reservoir both holds back the water and presents a path to a set of broad, flat stone that break the surface of the water to lead the way to where ancient stone steps switchback their way up and around the curving flank of the region’s highest cliffs. Those who take this giddying walk will find themselves at a high wooden vantage point that looks back down the valley, and a second stairway that runs back down the cliff-face. This descends way of a sake bar (the alcohol possibly welcome after the climb!) to another of the setting’s hideaways in the form of a little koi house nestled on its own rocky ledge, from where visitors can wave to those on the train as it huffs its way over the bridge, either to or from Seiiki’s little railways station.

To the west, and reached by another stone stairway, the region offer a spa sitting within a large Edo-style building (with most of the other buildings in the region in the same style), again built over water to present another place of peace and retreat.

Rich in detail, if a little heavy on some systems if you run with Shadows and other bells and whistles enabled all the time, Seiiki is a more than worthwhile companion to Suaka, the two of them offering a richness of space and setting for people to lose themselves. As noted above, Seiiki is open to [Valium] group members only until Monday, September 6th (joining fee L$395 – which goes directly towards the upkeep of both regions) – where after it will be open to the public at large, alongside Suaka, for an unspecified (at the time of writing) period of time.

 SLurl Details

• Seiiki (ValiumSL 1, rated Moderate)

Bo Zano’s (BoZanoNL) Elvion has been a popular location for Second Life travellers since he first opened it to the public in 2019. Initially a quarter Homestead, it quickly expanded to cover an entire region, iterating through a series of settings over the years, with a period of absence as well.

Having returned to Second Life earlier in 2021, Elvion has now once again expanded: in August 2021 Bo relocated from a Homestead region to a Full private region with the additional LI bonus. The move has brought with it an expansion to his vision that is richly engaging, in some ways a double-headed coin offering two  very different environments that come together as a whole to keep the dedicated Second Life explorer and photographer engaged for what can be hours.

On the ground level there is a rural setting mindful of the earlier iterations of Elvion: a place of open spaces, glades, tall trees, running waters and animals roaming free. At the same time, it offers much that is new to Elvion: a waterfront home for fishing boats that forms a place of commerce for those landing their loads of fish, watched over by the local chapel. Horses roam and open field close by, while further along the coastline is a rugged beach presided over by the ribs of an ancient boat and the tall finger of a lighthouse.

The landing point for the region sits to the north and west of this coastal setting, on the platform of an old railway line. The station serves a little corner-built hamlet, it’s paved square offering hints of cities from across Europe (perhaps most notably London, thanks to the wall-mounted street name). The shops here are furnished and the square rich in detail, making this one of the region’s many settings for photography.

Great oaks rise from the land bordering the town and sit between it and the southern coast. Under their broad canopy are multiple places awaiting discovery. I’m not going to name them all here, as exploration is a central part of any enjoyment of Elvion and I don’t want to spoil that; but wander far enough and you’ll discovery a wild garden with a greenhouse bathroom, ruins of considerable age. bridges awaiting crossing and many places to sit and pass the time.

Also circling its way through the trees and under their canopy is the railway line itself, rusted with age and probably no longer in regular use. A couple of buffered spurs branch from it, one the home of an aging boxcar. Without trains to threaten explorers, the track offer an excellent means to discover many of the region’s sites – and to reveal its chief secret.

I mentioned earlier that this is a region of two sides, each existing in its own right, separate from the other yet part of the whole. The link between the two takes the form of a small tunnel, a former pedestrian way under one of the region’s hills. sits alongside a length of the railway track (and admittedly not hard to miss given the signage 🙂 ), and which is in fact the teleport to Bo’s Sky World.

This is a genuinely magical setting, a series of island floating high in the sky, far above the clouds. Each offers a unique setting, all of them places caught in the midst of Autumn in difference to the summertime of the ground level setting. Some may appear entirely natural, complete with buildings and other familiar structures; others are more fantastical, the home of strange creatures – ShadowBull, giant scorpion and drangonfly or the most unusual setting for afternoon tea that winds its way up a spire of rock, itself topped by a steampunk-esque teapot/clock.

Throughout all of this there winds the rusting lines of the railway track, rising and falling, turning and crossing itself, offering a pathway around and between the islands. In doing so, it forms the motif that joins the Sky World with the ground level, even as they remain separate. Along the track can be found circular signs. Usually marking track point, here they offer teleport jumps to reach those island the track does not directly touch. Walk to the end of the and you’ll find a locomotive taking flight as it starts on its own journey of discovery.

Elvion’s ground level and Sky World both have enormous appeal about them (those used to running with shadows enabled may want to disable them when moving around to lighten the render load) and a which offer multiple opportunities for photography and / or sitting and passing the time.

Sadly, the members of Bo’s own Rat Pack and his three stooges are apparently absent this iteration – so no Frank or Sammy or Curly or Moe waiting to greet wanderers; but again, this is small price to pay for the sheer richest of the settings, and the dreamlike beauty of the Sky World.

Absolutely not a version of Elvion that should be missed.

SLurl Details

• Elvion (Woodland Realm, rated Moderate)