Audio By Carbonatix
If you have never been out to see Horror Remix and their spliced and diced versions of long-forgotten, campy and sometimes even scary horror films … well, then, put simply; you should go! Horror Remix’s hilarious plays on theme, puppet humor, and surprising film curation are reason enough. But tonight’s Horror Remix at the Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson at 9 p.m. takes on a Variety Show format, which means dear music lover, we are adding some live music to the remix.
Specifically in the form of Nervous Curtains, Dallas-based post-punk dark synth group, who will play an original score to an edited version of the film BLOODBEAT, a film about a rural woman possessed by the spirit of a Japanese samurai warrior.
The band is a perfect match for horror movie underscoring. I caught up briefly with Nervous Curtain’s lead vocalist and keyboard instrumentalist Sean Kirkpatrick before they premiere their score tonight.
Were you already familiar with BLOODBEAT?
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No. The movies that EJ (Anttila) finds for Horror Remix are so long forgotten, if ever even known to many people at all. He has tapped into a pretty absurd level of obscurity in the world of horror films that is pretty unheard of. He’s watched hundreds of terrible movies to discover these gems for Horror Remix fans.
And are you all big horror fans?
Sure. We grew up in the ’80s watching the big Wes Craven and John Carpenter movies. Then we got older and discovered all the classics, European horror films, and so on.
Is tonight’s work an original score or is it a live version of the music already in the film?
It is an original score. We actually haven’t heard any of the audio from BLOODBEAT since we were given the Horror Remix 30-minute edit of the movie with no audio at all. So we interpreted only what was happening on the screen in writing and rehearsing this music.
In what ways was your approach to this different then your usual material or projects?
We already employ certain conventions of horror scores our music: the dissonant pianos, dark organs, arpeggiated synthesizers and mellotrons. But we generally work in much more of a pop structure. We have songs with verses, choruses, very lyrically driven, etc. We usually try to keep our songs somewhat brief.
This score is all instrumental (aside from one song that we’re playing over the closing credits.) For this project, it’s all about the pacing. We are doing our best to unfold the music gradually and build tension in a way that mirrors what is happening on the screen. We hope it creates an emotional impact and exciting experience for the viewers. The film has a lot of elements that I enjoy in music: beauty, tension, a rugged but epic quality and total absurdity.
Can we look forward to more collaborations like this? Nothing is planned, but we’re game for any interesting collaborations.
What’s your favorite horror film?
I know this is kind of a cliché answer, but it’s hard to beat Suspiria. It’s definitely Argento’s visual masterpiece, and it’s the ultimate supernatural thriller. Of course, the Goblin soundtrack is completely essential. They have always been a big influence, and we get to really explore that more than ever on this project. We’re so bummed that we’re going to miss both their Austin performance while we’re on tour next month.
Catch Nervous Curtains debuting their score in a wonderfully unique setting before they head out on said tour at The Alamo Drafthouse at 9:00 PM. Horror Remix is rated R, free for all attendees, but guarantee your seat with a $5 food voucher here.
