The intricate write of old Banouan, mixed with the dynamic peach and flourish of a slow breeze in the afternoon to all converge into a singular track from the two musical hands from the A.R. of Banou who have picked to compete in the Plangainerian national selection to win more than just the admiration from their own local fan sphere in the country, but notoriety as well in their own republic.
Let it be their gentle voices or their particular approach in music be their considerable qualities, but what is understood is their love for their craft, a genuine practice turned into a career of doing what they most love, hearing the sound in the colours of a warm Banouan sunset and letting their imagination flow onto the now plentiful sheets of music that laid strewn across their lap. It is not just how they wrote their song ‘Atbusti’, but how their musical calling helps them find their peace and place in the music industry. The small republic was their home, and so was their land beyond the sea, it was only a try to compete in the selection that they’d see whether or not their sway of words and notes could stand out the best in the sleuth of other creative craft competing within the outstandingly huge selection. And on they went before the stage, never heard of by a larger audience, as they stood together with a smile shared on their faces as they let their own voice take hold over their inner-selves.
Their songs are their memories, and every memory is a part of themselves. A self-portrait drawn from their minds that made them come alive again when they hear it played back for others. Only then did they know how unique they were, as the crowd around them would roar louder than ever, letting the echoes of their voices be felt through the halls of the venue, giving them goosebumps and shivers all throughout their bodies, but especially so in their heart. They hadn't heard that sound before, that cheery song that sang out loud in the midst of applause, that joyous noise that reverberates into their soul. They had no idea how long the cheering and clapping continued until they finally stopped in a sudden hush, but it was too late to realize that there wasn't anything more they could do about it.
They won.
They won, and they won by a long shot, making their name known in Banou and even beyond its borders as well, showing everyone what the A.R. of Banou has been keeping under wraps this entire time. It's not just the voice or the musicality that makes them stand out from the rest, it's everything that they're doing in one breath, a piece of themselves that only they have the privilege to show. But who knows, their journey out from the depths of the country might have just started once they walked on stage.
The night didn't end with them having fun at the party after the selection. Instead, it ended up being an eventful day for the two, as they got caught between the many eyes that were watching them right now, taking notice of the unusual duo that had made it big in the selection, but never expected themselves to make it all the way here. Was it a good choice? Should they go back home already? No matter what, it was still too early to think about anything like that. They couldn't really tell whether they wanted to return to the quiet life in the silence, but maybe it was time to try something new. And so, as if waiting for their thoughts and dreams to come true, they went down into the streets of the bustling city of Orley, walking through its winding paths while a group of reporters followed behind them, questions flurrying about how they felt, what their goals are and so much more. But those were things that could wait until later, not until it was time for them to sing at the WorldVision Song Contest.
They returned to the one place that they knew brought them to this point, the small crest of the hill with a sight looking over the coast and sea where the sun could both surface and sink past the blue horizon. It was here where they'd first met, here where their relationship blossomed from simple acquaintance to companionship. Here were all the memories that made them who they are today, and it was here where they would write another page in their own history when the sun sets tonight. It made them love the song even more, knowing that there's someone else out there singing along with them. They didn't know if the audience understood the words that came across the stage or just saw the two singers performing in front of them, but either way, it gave them the warm feeling that everything that they did is worth it. They can be happy for what they've done and what they'll do tomorrow as well, because they have no regrets about anything their minds had set on doing since they first started writing songs together. They don't care about being famous anymore, but instead about spreading what music means to them, showing everyone why music is so important in life and what its true colours could look like through their eyes. Music isn't a career to make money from, but a form of self-expression, an avenue for them to express themselves and how they feel about things. A form of self-reflection that one moment was.
But just so, the sun was setting over the ocean now, casting a beautiful ellipse of golden light onto the waves, creating a reflection of the world below them as well, making the sea shimmer with the same colour that reflected in the sky. It was here where their journey began, at this very place that brought them to the stage of the selection. And it's also the last stop before they ventured out into the world of wonder at the WorldVision Song Contest.
Aurelia Wei
Aurelia WeiHer light-hearted singing was an inseparable part of her everyday life as a kid, growing up in a small coastal town in Banou offered her a way of peace to endeavor into the calm and
build her part in an inseparable community she could always call home. To her; music has been the constant thread that held her together through the rough times in life and while
she never really saw to pursue it as a full career, her passion for music allowed her to explore other avenues such as acting for her local theatre, allowing her to garner some experience
that enabled her to volunteer for the culture home program at the town, enabling the town to organize events and other cultural showcase around the small community.
Eventually graduating out of high-school and now enroute to adulthood, she pursued a master's degree in psychology at the University of Eridu, but chose to return to the same town
as a confectionery chef and business partner of the township's most adored bakery and café, something that she always wanted to do since leaving high-school just because of the
opportunity and freedom it brought with it, and so she returned to be close to her family and friends. Nowadays, Aurelia Wei mostly focuses on running her shop with the help of
one of her used-to-be classmates and the rest of her staff. While her occasional customers are mostly families and locals whom she had already known since she was born, it gave
her enough leeway to venture into her own musical world by exploring new sounds and experimenting different ways to incorporate them with her own singing, using some of what
she earned over the years to buy a piano.
And in the coming few years, she would meet Harrison Osborne, another musical hopeful who already had a minor presence in the region as a classical musician who loved playing guitar,
with the two occasionally going around to jam sessions together during the weekends either at home or the local sightseeing points when they both found themselves free from their
regular jobs and lives. And though it started off like any other casual acquaintanceship between two individuals, it slowly grew into a strengthened friendship thanks to their musical
affinity towards each other’s works and eventually lead up to Aurelia and Brandon writing one of several songs of which both individuals sought to try for the grand stage in Plangainer,
feeling more confident to step out into the light for the first time in her life.
BORN IN: 1996/06/18 | 26 years old
Harrison Osborne
Harrison OsborneHe was rather a young child when he started to strum his father's guitar, he wasn't much of a music whiz at that time but knew that it was something he would eventually enjoy doing.
He'd take every chance he got during the day off school or whenever his parents went out so that he could play around on the instrument by himself, usually what came out of it only
being slightly melodic jingles or tapping along on random notes until boredom took over again. There weren't many people in his life who he saw as melodic or musical, his dad though
was probably most musically inclined of anyone close enough to him. The man had been making sounds ever since Harrison can remember, and while he played different instruments
throughout his lifetime there was no denying the fact that he loved playing the guitar best.
And so, eventually growing older and graduating out from high school, Harrison decided to go after his dream, working towards becoming an independent artist just like some of the
musicians he admired and idolized back then, whom were more or less experimental and less linear in their approach to sound and song structure. He managed to get himself through
college and even worked a job to help pay for his studies but also put down money into gear to make sure that he was well-equipped when finally putting pen to paper on his first single.
He didn't find success the most driving factor but more so the experience of doing it, writing and recording songs just so you could watch something grow from a simple repetitive melody
to a more complex entity with a more cohesive theme and substance, especially when said process came to fruition when someone else listened and liked what he did enough to actually
share it with other listeners.
Harrison always enjoyed the indie sphere of music, each individual piece a unique entity that was better in its own way than what came before it and set to define itself for years to come.
He liked conceptually cohesive albums with an emotional subtext running through all of the tracks, including those which were more personal or obscure compared to other releases;
however, he never fell completely in love with any particular artist's work and kept his preferences wide and open. Aurelia Wei wasn't a musician in herself, but Harrison was able to see
aspects in the music they created together — their lyrics, voices, and instrumentation all flowed together beautifully — that made him particularly optimistic of her.
BORN IN: 1994/11/10 | 28 years old
"ATBUSTI"
Performed By: Aurelia Wei & Harrison Osborne
Song Written by: Aurelia Wei, Harrison Osborne
Producing by: Harrison Osborne, Fritz Lillith, Katy Glass
Mixed By: AIM Studios, Diamond Records, Yard Publishing
Published By: AIM Studios & Yard Publishing
Song Runtime: 2:42 (2 (Two) Minutes, 42 (Forty-Two) Seconds)
Description:
The first non-english song to win Melodine with a good margin. The song written by Aurelia Wei and Harrison Osborne, composed in collaboration with
Fritz Lillith (WV98) and Katy Glass and sung in old Banouan shares the general appreciation of companionship through lyrical melody as well as emotional
expression through its tune structure that has been a characteristic trait of the song ever since it won the selection.
Its soft yet punchy delivery through percussion and the accompanying guitar brought the song to the finals where it won with a total of 266 points, causing
the song to immediately debut at #1 in Banou and Plangainer on Spotify, making it the first song sung in old Banouan to reach this milestone.
Listen to the song HERE!
The rather short-lived time from flight to stage seemed like eons to the two performers, with the delegation quickly ensuing behind them as they entered the venue and saw the vastly set up interior with every intricate detail from top to bottom carefully engineered by the STC and the IBA to the show's particularly advanced requirements and the eyes of their talented designers. Even before the crowds came and went they already could feel the energy that'll await them at the dawn of the contest, including the heartwarming welcome from some of the other contestants who were already rehearsing their songs backstage as the crew set the scene, but not long their turn down the list would come up as they started to get a feel of the shoes they'd step into once the cameras would start rolling. Day by day, the hours grew nearer as the seconds never stopped to tick, the seemingly former calm of a quiet venue now bustling with an incredibly powerful crowd as the time had come for the show to start, with their draw being pulled between two incredibly powerful players in the WorldVision sphere made the moment seem a little more tense than usual.
But they didn't want to panic, nor did they want to let the moment pass, but eventually the set would darken and the familiar IBA tune would come through the speakers hanging above, the show now on the roll. And getting comfortable in their seats, Harrison and Aurelia would watch as the contest opened with a grand spectacular performance before the line up had to get up and walk the seemingly taut rumble of the crowd and the powerful sounds vibrating through the thick concrete. One by one, the other performers went from their seats, each performance different from another through their significantly distinct musical, artistical and choreographic styles. The small number ticked up as each country performed one after the other, the crowd roaring into applause as each song ended and the scene in the blink of an eye seemingly changed from what it had been before, and their turn now hanging after Britonisea's performance, where they waited with their hands clasped together as they shared a smile between each other, Aurelia's legs seemingly jumping up and down in place as she awaited their eventual time as one of the crew members ushered them from their seats towards the entrance to the hallway that lead a short walk towards the area directly behind the stage.
The audience cheered in the distance, as the lights hung in their shine before dimming to a darker blue as the familiar title came across the screens, hearing the postcard now coming through the speakers made them focus nearly instantaneously, with Harrison quickly grasping the guitar handed to him by one of the crew members whilst microphones had been delicately laid out in perfectly laid out colored squares, matching to the ones they were going to use for their performance as they grabbed them without hesitation. "Ready, you lot?" the man just beside the small partition in the stage leading to the sights of a vast crowd spoke as both Aurelia and Harrison nodded in unison, before eventually, the pair were let to enter the stage.
Step by step, and every step taking longer than the next, they heard the audience come into a sudden applause watching them walk across the polished floors and grating whilst stepping through the stage set particularly for their performance, positioning themselves at their markers whilst the postcard progressed, one of the other crew members rushing over to Aurelia as they tidied up her in-ear piece, before hurriedly rushing off the stage as the postcard ended on a high, the now dimly lit venue only showing the shine of phones and lit bracelets from the crowd visible to the duo as they took a deep breath before letting their lungs let go of whatever anxiety had bubbled up in their system. Harrison's hand rose to his guitar as his fingers laid upon the strings, and Aurelia clutching the microphone atop the stand as the stage broke into a short ready segment to indicate that the performance was now ready to be performed, and without a single second to spare, the sudden click of a metronome in their ears cued in to the start of the song.
"Intro in 3... 2... 1..."The strum of the guitar accompanied by the faint reverberated electric guitar put life into the silence as the shot opened into a silhouette of Harrison lit up by a spotlight to the right of the stage, walking through vastly strewn upright LED posts that lit the subtle fluke of fog in a wave of light blue, giving a dynamic yet immersive wave across the stage as the intro began. The blurry shot slowly zooming into the guitarist who approached a particularly unique microphone stand that had colorfully imitated that of a branch with the base starting from a dark oak to a more lighter tone of wood, before cutting to a more clearer camera which held Harrison to the left of the screen as he strummed the guitar, his mouth inches away from the microphone as he sang the first words of old Banouan, as his face attempted to clear any reminiscence of a smile hearing the crowd cheer once the guitar started to play, but it wasn't entirely easy for the singer to do so.
After three particularly static cuts from the main cameras ahead of the stage, the shot switched to a camera overlooking Harrison from a distance, slowly approaching through each pole that seemingly breathed in and out from light blue to a more subtle pinkish white, the fog giving a bit more dispersion upon the floor as the LEDs behind them remained somewhat dark while accompanied by a slow twirl of thin lines which bled into a noisy mess that went down from top to bottom. Zooming up to his face the camera catches a glimpse as it lingers to a distant silhouette of Aurelia, who looked at the camera with a smile whilst Harrison sung on the right of the screen.
Neskaudu man vytis tave
Pro širdies stygas lyg miško šile (šile)
Gal tik viena ar kiekviena
Tai momentas kur man lengva gyvent (gyvent)
Aurelia looked down to the ground as her foot stepped of a small podium beneath her, taking the microphone away from the stand as she descended, the song now picking up the beat with a more content percussion and bass as she paced over towards Harrison through the forest of light around them, the stage now slowly bleeding more light as the LED screens behind them now shared a more lively visuals in a playfully hand-drawn style to match. The camera slowly pulling out as it followed her as Harrison continued to strum his guitar, looking over at each other as they shared a sincere gaze and a warm smile before she walked over towards the camera and held her hand upon her chest before blowing a kiss before walking out of frame, the camera that had sat on stage for a good ten seconds total now moving out towards the side before cutting to the track cam just besides the very edge of the stage, catching the pair in one frame but with Aurelia now taking up more presence with her lively moves but without any particular choreo, letting herself feel the growing energy in the song as the two sung with their voices keeping at level.
Tai kai beldžiąs į dureles
Aš tau laika duodu kiek iš manęs
Kiek tai laiškas, kiek tai juokas
Tie žodeliai skraido taip ir lengvai
The music now brought impression of a steady rhythm, the lights which had glowed a soft yet mellow blue now picking up to a peachy orange pulse that matched along with the kicks of the drums, the scene switching to a camera that slowly descended towards the stage from above the venue, showing the stage in full as the poles - matching along with several spotlights in and around the stage - matched with the percussion whilst Aurelia walked a few steps back towards a second stand that stood just to the left of Harrison, raising the microphone up towards the stand as she clipped it on and grabbing hold with both of her hands as she closed her eyes. Harrison looking down at his guitar as he subtly bounced his head and chest to the beat.
Tai laikas man atbusti
Nes man lengva tau pakliūti
Ir tai laikas man atbusti
Nes noriu kiek aš daugiau išbūti
Then the strings of the bass guitar moved on lower as the percussion paused for a breath before kicking back up to a healthy punch with life as the stage now had been englamoured in a mix of pinkish red and sunset orange, the LED strips behind them now randomly scrolling up and down at various intervals almost like slow-moving rain as Aurelia let go of the microphone and let her hands move around her body as she moved along with the beat, her rosy pink cheeks along with the broad smile making her charismatic nature flood out of her musical nature. Some of the audience beginning to clap along to the beat, some start to sing along in whatever sense of old Banouan they managed to memorize whilst listening to the song on their own accord, and some letting out a small cheer as lights above them mimicked that of a starry shine, with those around the rims of the stage moving in a circular motion.
The cameras cut between a shot of a crane jib that swung down low and zoomed in on the two, and another of the track cam that ran along the edge of the set and a further one just behind the green room that zoomed out slowly whilst the duo sang in a harmonious medley, mostly out of their own wants and desires. Harrison looked towards Aurelia whilst bearing the same grin across his lips whilst he sung with his head up high and facing the vast reaches of the crowd.
Man tai smagu būti kartu
Nuo pradžios link pabaigos taip būtų
Man tai smagu būti kartu
Nuo pradžios link pabaigos taip būtų
Once the music started to slow down, two circular panels beneath them started to encircle their feet in a defining light, the shot now returning to a camera that walked up towards them from the sides of the stage as they became a bit more lightly mannered with less movement that they exhumed out from their playful swing. The forest of light now lighting up to the same mild blue that started off initially but now instead of a soft glow from one another in an orderly fashion, they followed the general tempo at twice the rate, lighting up suddenly before dimming more in time with the guitar rather than the bass or the percussion whilst Harrison picked at the strings with his fingers, Aurelia looking ahead of the crowd whilst around them a gentle white but yet with a shade of pink let illuminate their sides facing towards the open air towards the audience and camera.
The camera moved around behind them, doing a small orbit around the two whilst passing through the hurdles without tripping, catching a glimpse of the crowd and then the stage behind them before flying away off to the side as it returned to a more stationary cut from one to another camera, gliding across gently.
Kaip saulėlydis pražibo
Mano akys mato taip ir tave (tave)
Biški skamba tiek banaliai
Bet geresnius žodžius aš nežinau
After the first half of the second verse had been sung, the shot now switched to a camera laying at the very summit of the stage, pointing up with the singing pair at the bottom as the lyrics of the song and particularly the second half of the verse had been now drawn onto the large LED screen above them, and onto the very singers themselves, a small yet discernable projection of lines moved across at their legs, but the general illumination of both Harrison and Aurelia made it seemingly fade over time as the second verse came to an end, where the cameras cut to a crane jib that slowly moved away from them as it kept a good portion of the screen behind them still visible.
Laikas jaučiąs kaip sustojus
Ar visada taip kai tu čia šalia?
Nes gal laisvesnis aš jaučiuosi
Nežinau ar man taip reikia bijot
And after the shot cut away from the crane, the same sequence of events ensued towards the build up portion of the song but with a camera which hung above them looking down on the two performers as now the lyrics from the build up were appearing on the floor in a spiraling motion that shrunk down into a seemingly deep pit, the shot slowly rotating whilst Aurelia and Harrison now walked away from the two decorated microphone stands as they clutched the microphones away and walked towards the center of the stage, the guitarist - Harrison - taking off the instrument as he laid it onto the floor just a few steps away to where it could be hidden away just enough for the cameras to not spot it behind a small elevated portion of the set which gave a pretty good way to hide some props and even elements from the open floor of the stage, before returning to Aurelia who both shared the moment whilst the song built up to the second climax as they looked at each other in a seemingly determined gaze of which they both shared.
Tai laikas man atbusti
Nes man lengva tau pakliūti
Ir tai laikas man atbusti
Nes noriu kiek aš daugiau išbūti
As the song built up and eventually reached the second point of peak, Aurelia jumped around her portion of the stage as her blond hair flailed in a playful manner and a face full of joy, the guitarist looking onward towards the audience as his other hand reached up towards the sky, one of the other cranes that haven't had time to make a more visible presence slowly moving down to capture the two as one danced and the other moved along with the beat in a shot which also gave a glimpse towards the grandeur of light and sweet color pallet of the floor that glowed beneath their very feet. Aurelia's motions whilst her arms head and shoulders felt the music flow through her heart felt smooth and less unkempt than before, the same delight and energy shared by the cheers and whistling of the crowd as some even stood up to move along with the music as well, the sight of which did not go unnoticed by the performers.
Man tai smagu būti kartu
Nuo pradžios link pabaigos taip būtų
Man tai smagu būti kartu
Nuo pradžios link pabaigos taip būtų
There was no surprise that the duet would've wanted for the music to keep on climbing higher with more melody to accompany the already burning blaze of light-hearted bump in the instrumentation as the two looked over at each other whilst they walked in small rhythmic steps as they hunched down together to move along with the general tempo of their song, spots and rays of light sweeping across the very floor of the stage in the tri-color mix of sweet pink, orange and red, cameras zooming to catch the faces of the two performers as they repetitively sung the lines before breaking it with lyrical variance at the ends of each half.
Then it was at this point that the sparkling waterfall effects would rain down from above the stage, pyrotechnics pushing out small flashes of light along the front regions of the set at random intervals whilst a camera quickly moved towards the duo as it let itself orbit around them until the very end of the last few lyrics, Aurelia taking a moment to wave to the camera and Harrison to flash a thumbs up as they interpretively danced through though up choreo that came to mind during the very height of the song. The Steadicam eventually fell away as the shot cut to away to a camera hanging above them which pulled away as it revealed the stage in full, including the duet before the song fell silent and the lights and pyrotechnics died down to a steady sky blue color, the background showing a rising sun behind them.
Kai nėra daug ko kito
Kai nėra daug ko kito
Kai nėra daug
Bet tik aš ir tų
Kai nėra daug ko kito
Kai nėra daug
Bet tik aš ir tų
The very second the song fell into silence, the audience erupted into a thunderous mix of applause and cheer as Harrison and Aurelia ran towards each other with their arms extend as she jumped at the very moment the two hugged whilst the cheering continued, with Harrison making a few turns in circles as a result whilst the duo laughed together with a heartfelt smile plastered on their faces. Aurelia raised the microphone back up as she let out in a seemingly joyous tone,
"Thank you Mariensbourg! Thank you Carrelie! Thank you World! And thank you WorldVision!"It was a moment of glory, the cameras slowly catching glimpses across the venue of numerous people standing up in applause, some bearing the Plangainerian and even the Banouan flags, as they looked over together with a hand reached over one another whilst Harrison waved his hand in every direction that the crowd stood and sat, before the duo rushed away as another postcard appeared on the broadcast, signaling the end to Plangainer's performance.
It was a night to remember.