It may be nearing summer, but while most people are cutting up old jeans and digging out 70s-style tank tops, a select few favor the bleak and the cold of dank caves and castles, smearing on mascara to match “‘The Cure’ Girl” camper in Wet Hot American Summer. If you’re in doubt that such a grim aesthetic can still exist in 90-degree heat, just head to the Erotique Fantastique Masquarade Ball on June 2, held at The Cinefamily in Los Angeles. Demdike Stare will appear to play a live score to Rape of the Vampire, the film that, in 1968, distinguished itself as the first French vampire film. (Don’t believe it? Look into it — fangs français were indeed scarce in movies before Jean Rollin had his way.) Demdike Stare’s eerie, gothic sound is perfect for film accompaniment — a “re-vamping,” they call it—without sounding like typical John Carpenter/Goblin derivatives (Umberto, Salem, witch house). We can’t help but agree that they are a natural choice for such a confluence of dark souls, even if the audience will end up looking like a Dresden Dolls concert.
In addition to Demdike Stare’s performance (which will include Anworth Kirk), there will be DJ sets from the Killing Spree crew, and probably lots and lots of leather. If you can’t make it to L.A. (or simply don’t have enough eyeliner to present yourself properly), you should at least check out the newest Demdike collection, Tryptych (TMT Review), pulling together old and bonus material from three previously released EPs. Anworth Kirk also have a self-titled LP out, but with only 500 available, you may be a little more hard-pressed to find it.
• Demdike Stare: http://www.myspace.com/pookawig
• Cinefamily: http://www.cinefamily.org
