Moon Drone is a lunar phase-specific ritual and sound score that alchemizes astronomical, biological, and mythological understandings of the sun-earth-moon triangulation, performed by 3 bodies playing 3 drums in 3 drone movements. An expansion of Jess Tsang's tactile feedback instrument practice, concert bass drums become sensory synthesizers using microphones and amplifiers to generate a feedback array atop the drum heads. Informed by plant medicine, animal architecture, and experimental percussion, Jennae Santos, Ricky Petraglia, and Jess Tsang sound significant objects (dried roots, shells, metal rods, seeds, splash cymbals, etc.) by positioning them on the feedback surfaces to generate various tones, textures, and polyrhythmic oscillations. Feedback sensitivity and resonance quality also extends to the performance space, the people and their movements within. The site itself, constellating all bodies in the space, becomes one sonic biome and atmospheric drone driven by narrative seasonal themes and selenocentric mythos culture.

I — Origin Theory: the floating drone of outer space— 3 drums sounded by 3 mics feeding back through 3 amps. 3 tones sound, informed by Basilica's architecture, the bodies, & movement inside. Petraglia/moon & Santos/earth embody minimal circumnavigation. Tsang/sun alters the feedback array with her arms. Another planet strikes Earth. The collision births the Moon, who is rounded spherical by a period of asteroid bombardment. The trio sounds oyster, surf clam, and snail shells, rocks, roots, and rose hips. They bow, strike, and brush singing bowls and cymbals.

II — Orbit: the bodies settle into natural gravitational orbit: revolving ching finger cymbals, Petraglia/moon’s strike frequency is informed by Jess/sun’s cymbal wash, which feeds Jennae/earth’s pattern. Earth's Moon-view is determined by Sunlight. Sun and Moon animate life on Earth. 

III — Mythos: 5/27/23 marks the 1st quarter of Strawberry Moon, departing the Flower Moon. Lunar gravity dances the Earth tide. Lunar cycle duration mirrors menstrual cycles. Santos sets a wordless vocal loop, then prepares blood tea from beet & turmeric— circulatory and anti-inflammatory agents. She pours tea in her hands and pushes this blood onto an unfurling tide of blue paper, while Petraglia & Tsang trade waving rolls, evolving into an ecstatic groove. Santos gifts strawberries on shells to the people. Armfuls of rose petals are released to a wind tower, then projectile spewed from the mouth into confetti as cymbals crash. This ritual is shared with farm punks, Star Route Farm and Mirrored Fatality, with sensual vegetal body sculptor Gracelee Lawrence & finally amongst the main trio altogether.

Mythos Variation: Moon Drone II for Ornaphonism at Flux Factory on October 21th, 2023 took place on the waxing crescent lunar phase from the Harvest to the Hunter full moon. Marking the season, the space features dried wheat, amaranth, and seed pod bouquets emerging from the walls. The tide’s ferocity becomes a dancing beast in the plain site of barren trees, hunted by the drums for winter provisions. The Earth (Santos) gifts the audience gourds.