On Morricone Youth this Sunday (2pm ET), host Devon E. Levins welcomes Silencio, a Pittsburgh-based sextet inspired by the film and television music of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti. The
mystery and dark intrigue surrounding the cooperative works of Lynch
and Badalamenti has mesmerized and haunted many a subconscious over the
years. There’s something unique about the pairing of Badalamenti’s
musical scores to Lynch’s dreamy scenery that is unsettling and
simultaneously familiar. There’s also an era of innocence in the music
that creates a timeless appeal without regard to the modern, nightmarish
and sometimes corrupt scenarios presented within the films. It’s these
things that keep people perpetually fascinated with the works of these
genius artists, and it’s these things that have initiated the project
Silencio, a formation of musicians situated around two core members from
the Pittsburgh band Mandrake Project…A group that’s no stranger to working within the cinematic genre.
Silencio began as a recording project between David Jamison and Kirk Salopek
who had shared a longtime mutual admiration for the work of Lynch’s
films and Badalamenti’s eerie, jazzy scores. They also realized to
their surprise that nothing quite like Silencio really existed. Of
course there are the droves of Lynch/Badalamenti devotees, inspirees and
bands covering the occasional movie theme, but no one seems to have
embraced the WHOLE concept as a direct and focused project. Both
Salopek and Jamison had a number of original ideas inspired directly
from the musical selections in "Twin Peaks," "Mulholland Drive" and "Lost Highway" which
quickly took shape into material for their debut album scheduled for
release on June 30th. Not long after recording began, the search for
additional players ensued and the decision to perform the project as an
entire Lynch tribute was solidified. What was first planned as a
rotating line-up of members turned into a dedicated, full-time cast
adopting Matt Booth (upright & electric bass), Lee Hintenlang (sax), Dan Barrett (keys) and the uber-sultry Dessa Poljak handling the haunting, smoky duty of vocals.
Silencio performs selections from all of Lynch’s films spanning “Eraserhead” to “Inland Empire”, with a focus on the works from the “Twin Peaks” series and “Fire Walk With Me”
film. The group’s original offerings seamlessly intersperse throughout
the movie material and fit the occasion as if it were written as
outtakes from some of Badalamenti’s “Lynch-iest” sessions. If there
were ever a group to perform for an event and capture the vibe of a “damn fine cup of coffee”, cherry pie and wind through the Douglas Firs, then Silencio is that group. The band will be performing later that evening, Sunday, May 20 at Le Poisson Rouge at 7:30pm ET.
Listen live or to the archive HERE starting at 2pm ET this Sunday!
