Anachronism Presents LOST Worlds: An Immersive Summer Adventure
Arya Braveheart
Summer’s in full swing, and the call of the tropics beckons! But what if you crave an island getaway unlike any other? Look no further than Anachronism, a virtual paradise that transcends the boundaries of time.
This isn’t just any beach resort; it’s a community, a haven for those seeking a vibrant escape from the ordinary. Anachronism is more than just a place; it’s a feeling— a “home away from home” for many, myself included. Here, the days melt away amidst laughter, dancing, and shared experiences in this unique Second Life (SL) haven.
Intrigued by the island’s allure, I sought out the mastermind behind it: Subversive Vavoom aka Hopper, the sim designer, landscaper, and decorator. We delved into the story, the inspiration, and the very essence that makes Anachronism so special.
Anachronism: A Realm Rebuilt, A Community Unbound
Anachronism isn’t your average virtual club. Inspired by real-world travel adventures, fantastical films, and the work of master builders like Alex Bader, it’s a place where imagination runs wild. The brainchild of a seasoned club owner, Anachronism (founded in 2021) is the culmination of years of experience, offering themed events every week that are as visually stunning as they are immersive.
Think elaborate designs, meticulously crafted costumes, and a community that thrives on creative expression. Here, the cafe, jungle, and tiki lounge are just a taste of the ever-evolving wonders Anachronism offers.
But the magic extends beyond the builds. Anachronism boasts a vibrant dance scene, fueled by the talents of four live DJs. Group choreography is improvised on the fly, ensuring a truly dynamic experience. With over a thousand modern dances in their library, they can match any song, keeping the party moving with minimal lag.
The driving force behind Anachronism? A passion for keeping their loyal members, some of whom have been together for over a decade, constantly surprised. Four times a year, the entire virtual world is rebuilt, ensuring a constant stream of fresh experiences. In three years, they’ve only repeated a handful of themes— a testament to their dedication to keeping things exciting.
Anachronism caters to a specific crowd. It’s for those who relish dressing up for imaginative themes, want to explore intricate spaces, and appreciate a well-stocked virtual wardrobe. The builds, a collaborative effort between the founders, are breathtakingly detailed, demanding both a powerful graphics card and a touch of fantasy to fully appreciate.
The music scene reflects this adventurous spirit with a wide range of genres, including niche selections, that change weekly. The community itself is friendly and inclusive for respectful adults (child avatars are discouraged due to the adult rating). Local chat can get lively, but observers are always welcome. Just let them know if you prefer a quieter experience; after all, not everyone needs sensory overload.
LOST Islands
This summer, Anachronism, your one-stop destination for virtual adventure, is thrilled to unveil LOST Worlds, a captivating series of islands and builds inspired by exotic locations like the Solomon Islands.
But LOST Worlds is just the beginning! As summer heats up, Anachronism will whisk you away on an African safari, complete with a brand-new virtual space designed to transport you to the heart of the savanna.
A Club Perk: Serenity Awaits
Anachronism understands the importance of relaxation after a day of exploration. That’s why group members can enjoy exclusive access to Serenity, a special camping island designed for peaceful summer nights under the virtual stars.
Open to All!
The magic of LOST Worlds isn’t limited to club members. All visitors are welcome to explore the ground level (below 1,000 meters) of these incredible builds. Be prepared for an immersive experience— LOST Worlds is packed with captivating sounds and hidden surprises waiting to be discovered.
Unleash Your Inner Explorer
To fully navigate Anachronism’s vast virtual world, grab a complimentary experience-based teleport HUD at the main landing point. This handy tool, along with a comprehensive activities list, will unlock all nine major areas of the sim, Evolution, ensuring you don’t miss a single corner of LOST Worlds.
Maximize Your Experience
For optimal immersion, enable advanced lighting and shared environments to see this island shine. This is a PBR-textured sim, so ensure you have the correct viewer for stunning visuals. Projected lighting adds depth, and don’t forget the soundscapes— meticulously crafted to draw you deeper into each part of this LOST World.
So, pack your virtual bags, fellow adventurers, and prepare to embark on a summer unlike any other at Anachronism’s LOST Worlds!
DJ MAT BY THE NUMBERS
Coco St. George
"So… what is it like being a DJ in Second Life? Is that what you want to know? How to be a DJ?” DJ Mat is sitting on the balcony of his home in SL, which he shares with his wife, Wilo— his wife both in the first and the second life, I should add. He sinks into what appears to be a deep pondering state, and then his answers gush out.
“Number one is having a catalog of music to draw upon. Number two is having a good Mixer app (Mixxx, SAM, BUTT, etc.). I had music on CDs and uploaded them to my Hard Drive on the Laptop. I purchase music in digital mp3 format from BandCamp, Amazon, and iTunes. That way, I have a legitimate copy to play. Yes, there are copyright issues, but not for now.”
“There’s a push to have DJs pay royalties, even in SL,” he explains. “But that’s a gray area. Right now, we all fly under the radar because our tips are all done as micro-transactions. But the idea would be to pay royalties according to the amount of tips received. But, as I said, that’s not an issue we have to face for the moment.”
Suddenly, he seems to remember something important.
“The music, the software… that’s of course something you’ll need, but by far the best investment I ever made for being in SL is a second screen. I bought a similar-sized add-on screen that allows me to see my Mixxx app and what’s happening in SL at the same time. Windows has the functionality of being able to split screens or chain two screens together, so your cursor moves fluidly from one to the other and back again. It gives you two (or more) windows to see all the things you need to do, across multiple screens. That has been a real game-changer for me!”
“So, number three is getting a second screen,” he adds. “Number four would be deciding what music
genre you’d like to play. Or genres, if you think you might be bored (or worse, boring!) playing only one kind of music all the time. So, you may find different venues with different styles, and cater to the venue’s preferences in music. And by doing so, you may get to experience a variety of music styles.”
“Other DJs I’ve met have been completely focused on one genre,” he adds. “Because that music strikes a chord within them. Those are the ones who usually know all the history and backstory of the artists and the songs. You need to have a real talent to take in all that info and then share little snippets of it with the audience.”
“As for myself, I typically play Electroswing,” he discloses. “The funny thing is, I didn’t even know it existed before I came into Second Life. I stumbled into The Savoy and was captivated by the style of the place…” he reminisces, speaking of The Savoy Ballroom, a club that caters to 30s and 40s music, of which he eventually became the manager. “And then I heard it: Electroswing mixed in with the Big Band Swing. And something clicked. It got into my blood. Why? Because it’s very dance-able music. That is what so many dance clubs depend on— the music they play and the quality of dances available in their dance balls. The Savoy is still the best combination of both those things I’ve yet found anywhere in Second Life.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” he insists. “I play other stuff, too: Latin, Jazz, Disco, Rock, Rockabilly… And I sometimes sneak in little eclectic songs you wouldn’t expect in a ballroom setting.”
He is not the only one who has discovered and fallen in love with a music genre in Second Life.
“In the past, one of our new DJs, DJ Blu, had never heard of Blues music,” he remembers. “One day, at DJ Filo Tani’s show, she heard him play a song, and that was it! She embarked on a journey into Blues
PHOTOS: COCO ST. GEORGE
territory that is now 15 years long. And last night, she played an incredible array of music and kept all fully entertained.”
“Well, number five would be knowing your audience,” he continues. “I tell all our entertainers at The Savoy this: ‘It’s your set, it’s your responsibility.’ I give them the latitude to experiment with what they play (or sing). Then it’s up to them to gauge the response from the audience. The audience will let you know if they like it or if they don’t. Adjust accordingly.”
“If a DJ wants to keep a following, or build up credentials as a good DJ, they have to be able to read the audience, which in this medium means listening to their praise for particular songs (or if they don’t say anything). Sometimes I ask if they liked a new song I played, to get a sense of whether I’ve chosen wisely. There are times a new tune becomes a crowd favorite in a very short time because it is a song that people can relate to.”
“I have some favorite songs, of course, but I try not to play them every session,” he adds. “To prepare for my gig, I typically sit down early in the day and decide what flavor I want the whole session to have. Then I call up one of my playlists that most closely matches it. I then dip into the Tracks section of my mixer app, where all the music resides, and scan the list for songs that will fit the mood I’m shooting for.”
Once you have the music, the software, the second screen, the genre, and the audience, what’s next?
“You need a streaming provider, which would be number six. I use iShout/Shoutcast. It was recommended by Carlyle Chaparral, who is the owner of The Savoy and its music. He gave me access to the whole catalog he stores on Google Drive; he uses Centova Cast to run the 24/7 house stream. By having that access (because he trusted me), I was able to download all of it and get started as a DJ in a hurry. I expanded my whole catalog from that springboard.”
“Many folks have differing streaming services,” he adds after a pause. “There are things to look for in order to get what you need. Ensure you get a service with a high bitrate, that can service 50 or more people at once. Listener count can make or break your performance, you know? Especially when you become popular. If your stream can’t handle
upwards of 100 listeners when you get to that point, you’re gonna be in trouble.”
“Here’s another thing that a DJ must double-check before starting a session,” he continues. “Ensure your mixer has the right bitrate output assigned in the Preferences or Options tab, or your stream will end up buffering or suffer drop-outs to the audio.”
Listening to DJ Mat talk about being a DJ in SL makes you feel like there are a lot of years of experience behind his words. And indeed there are.
“I was a DJ in real life, in Austin, TX, for three and a half years, on weekends, while I was stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base,” he reveals. “I’ve been a DJ here in SL for almost a full year now… The RL DJ thing was at a Contemporary Christian radio station, as an On-Air DJ, for KNLE FM 88.1, ‘Kandle 88, the Light of the Hill Country!’”
“DJing in SL is very similar, but here in SL, you get to see your audience. I didn’t have that luxury in the real world.”
Why would anybody go through all this trouble (and expense) to be a DJ in Second Life? What’s the reward?
“Knowing that the folks who’ve heard the music had a good time. Besides, I like to talk… a lot! And being a DJ is kind of like that. You play music for two hours and engage with people in the nearby chat. Best thing ever for a gregarious person like me.”
“Look, you ain’t gonna get rich as a DJ in SL,” he warns. “Whatever tips you get may help defray the cost of all the stuff you invest in, such as the music you play. But don’t expect to be able to cash out big bags of loot from this.”
“All kinds of people may become a DJ. People who like people become DJs. People who love music become DJs. The two usually go together. But mainly you have to love this kind of thing. Because it’s a service you provide, that you are giving to an audience. If you don’t love this kind of work, then just don’t do it.”
Keep up with DJ Mat and others that frequent the Savoy Ballroom here:
In many of the articles I have written for this wonderful magazine, I pointed out the benefits of programs like Second Life over and over again. This piece will also be one in which I do so, but for a very personal reason. Today’s article will be about a family roleplay sim. As to why this topic is special to me: I am unable to have children in the traditional way in Real Life. Family RP places give people like me the opportunity to experience a kin life. There are a few family roleplay spots to pick from. The one I chose for us to visit today is an area that I believe is a great choice for those who are looking for a medium-sized community with a tight-knit kin feel. So, let’s hop on the bus now and go to Southford Falls.
As is typical for the tours I run, I will show you most of what this sim has to offer, but not everything, as I feel that the best memories are made when you do some exploring on your own. So, when you reach Southford Falls, you will start your trip in what I call the visitor center. Most family RP spots have one. This is the place where you can find information about the area, such as what homes are available to be rented out. When you exit this particular visitor center, you will come upon a flank of stores. This is something that I have not seen on other family roleplay sims. I actually think that this is a really good idea, as it’s a way for the area to entice individuals to become interested in it through an activity that many love to do. So now with souvenirs in tow, let’s see more of this spot.
One of my favorite locales here is where most of the restaurants are. The cool part about this neighborhood is the variety of eateries. There is also quick service. This is perfect for families with picky eaters, as you can get a large amount of different kinds of foods, fast. If you happen to just be in the company of your mate while in this locality, make sure to check out the gazebo, as it’s a great little pitstop to connect with each other and people-watch.
With our bellies now full, we’ll go check out the ballroom. This is also something that I have not come across in other family RP spots. However, this pastime seems to be experiencing a renaissance in RL, especially among children. While dancing is a popular activity in SL, it is usually reserved for couples and clubgoers. I find it refreshing to see this pastime now being offered for all ages.
I hope everyone has some energy left, as we’re now heading to the beach. You’re probably expecting a typical beach, but as you can see, it’s absolutely not. This to me is a private island. I will caution you that parts of it are rented out. So, be careful when walking around.
We’ll conclude our tour at the arcade. Why there, you ask? Since we’re on a family roleplay sim, it would make sense that we should do at least one thing to bring out our inner child. Before I entered this establishment, I admit that I didn’t expect it to be as nice as it was. Besides the typical games that one would find in a venue like this, it also features a concession stand, a dining nook, and a carousel.
As luck would have it, I ran into the owner of Southford Falls, Atreyu Briggs, while scouting out family roleplay areas. He was kind of enough to take some time out of his schedule to have a chat with me. During our conversation, I learned that a lot of special events will be happening in Southford Falls, as well as a HUD that will debut there prior to being made available grid-wide.
I believe that all goals in life are achievable, but it might take a different approach to do so. I encourage everyone who is struggling to fulfill their dreams to look into alternate paths to make them happen. As for me, I am glad that both family RP sims and Second Life exist to make mine come true.
ans are many for the Semence Light Particle Show of Second Life. “One of the most amazing artworks in SL. Thank you so much for sharing!” says avatar Jennie, in a Facebook post. “A masterpiece! Loved it!” adds another enthusiast.
And that’s just the social media view. You should see it in Second Life. We did, and found it typical of immersive art allowing visitors to float with amoebas larger than your house... Honestly, there is nothing typical about Semence. That is a good thing.
Semence is French for ‘seeds,’ “—as in seeds of new discoveries,” says Lalie Sorbet, the site’s Art Director. “Semence represents a journey through the cycle of life, from inception to growth and beyond.”
She continues, “Creating this show made us feel like explorers discovering a parallel digital world of colors, pixels, 3D shapes, and textures. We embarked on this journey and brought back unique specimens we want to share.”
The ‘we’ includes the other half of Semence, Technical Director Chrix. “The whole idea is to go into a life cycle journey,” he says about the beyondthis-world cyber presentation. “The show starts with simple organic cellular shapes that evolve toward more complex forms.”
The journey begins by teleporting to SLEA Bridge1 (115,184,3001) or SLEA Chrix and Lalie Residency. Take a seat on a provided conveyance and prepare for dimensional travel.
Soon, we are embedded in stars, celestial bursts of color as if a nova exploded. Stars are joined by gigantic starfish, escorting us on our way. Later flying walruses and other creatures appear.
One astonished visitor unintentionally but adequately speaks for the rest of us when she exclaims, “How in the world did they do this?!” Her inquisition
has merit. What unfolds before us is unlike almost anything else in Second Life.
First encounters reminisce psychedelic days gone by, when “peace” and “groovy” reigned supreme. Later along the cyber path, shapes of architectural design and organic configurations take hold in a melding of art and geometry.
Participants soon select flight over floating. They leave their dream crafts, opting to venture out on their own.
Upon entering this frequent flyer fantasy, one floats, drifts, and orbits with various creatures and shapes. The more people who are there, the more effects are generated. One experiences a technicolor dream of sight and sound.
Lalie adds, “Semence uses the full potential of Second Life, integrating particles, mesh, animesh, and other effects to create a memorable experience.” But it is more than a show.
Both Chrix and Lalie emphatically note that their site of meta-wonder is a metaphor for life’s journey. “We want you to be more than just a spectator,” the art director adds. Indeed, Chrix and Lalie want you in it, not just looking at it.
Visual effects smoothly imbed you into the story. Visitors become part of the digital adventure. Lalie adds, “Join us to witness and participate in this fusion of technology and art, where every element is a seed sown to cultivate wonder, growth, and inspiration.”
Entering Semence is a journey from RL to SL to an artist’s pallet. Come along, bring a friend, or make new ones in a parallel digital world of colors, pixels, 3D shapes, and textures.
Visitors fly and float in harmony with creatures great and small, alongside imagined beings that only exist in pixels. Chrix notes, “For many, this is a relaxing
PHOTOS: CARA PAINE
place to be. Semence’s show lets people escape reality for a while. The visual is abstract. It invites us to wander around and dream.”
Adding to Chrix’s point, Lalie continues about the cyber otherworldly visit, “It is always emotional. Many tell us they have never seen such a beautiful show.” But as both creators emphatically add, this is more than a show.
Their site description says it all: “This is a metaphor for life’s journey. We want you to be more than just a spectator. Visual effects will seamlessly incorporate you into the narrative, making you an integral part of this digital adventure. Join us to witness and participate in this fusion of technology and art, where every element is a seed sown to cultivate wonder, growth, and inspiration.”
“Semence” is the third and final show for SLEA6. The Light Show opened in June and averages 200 visits daily. The experience runs 24/7. For a Semence Light Show primer, visit it on YouTube at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=NJZX89jkv-E.
However, while YouTube videos are fine for watching, Semence is for doing. In the words of Captain Kirk, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.”
But this is beyond RL outer space. Semence delivers a world where space, time, and dimension become one with the metaverse.
This is a dream experienced while awake. It is the Magic Carpet Ride promised by Steppenwolf. It is Semence’s immersible light show, a digital vista like no other.