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Rain Release
Feild Recording
The Palm Wood, Kauai
The Only Return Is Sonic Archive


Listen here.

In the middle of a deeply intimate and honest conversation with a friend, a moment of release-- a warm rain-- washed the patio and foliage around us.

I am always amazing but never surprised by the sonic subtitles of nature. How she always shows herself as part of the conversation. This break was medicinal. Calming after an animated conversation.

I will be testing the frequency of this specific rain pour for a larger project on timing: how nature always interrupts at the right time.


Zion Estrada (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist researcher. Her work flows between archival assemblage filmmaking, sonic collage production and experiential design centering human and more-than-human (re)connection.

Zion’s  experimental collage language in film and sonic works often use layering of field recordings, found sounds and carefully curated sound clips that score a line of discourse that complicate temporality, history and meaning making. Her practice is informed by the palimpsest and Pauline Olivero’s Deep Listening. 

She is most interested in the non-verbal and more-than-human qualities of storytelling from the African diaspora (specifically the Caribbean) and how sounds hold the spirits of the past and the alchemic power to magnetize communities, movement, moods, and healing. She draws from the traditions of Black Trans abolitionists care making, sex worker solidarity,  doula presence practices and movement architects love of release.

Zion is currently researching traditional forms of care and practicing pod building and repair pracitces as inspired by Mia Mingus, Question Culture and the Abolition Dream lab.

Zion is the Creative Director of Black Discourse, co-founder of Wild Grass Design + Research Lab and owner of BZE Consultant LLC.  She holds a M.A. Ed focused in participatory research and linquistics.

PREVIOUSLY
Director of Programs at BLD PWR; holds 10yrs as educator and curriculum developer.

CURRENTLY
Board member at Citizens of Culture
Exhibitor at the Ghetto Biennale in Jacmel, Haiti 2024
Participant in MIT Worlding Project Community 2023