TSAR B & DIJF SANDERS: PLAY THE MUSIC OF TWIN PEAKS
ABOUT THE SERIES
A creepy atmosphere, bizarre characters, a stellar soundtrack, and damn good coffee: the critically acclaimed, experimental series Twin Peaks was an instant hit when it hit the screens in 1990. Viewers immediately became fans of the unique combination of horror and humor that creators David Lynch and Mark Frost brought to the series. Legend has it that even Paul McCartney, while attending The Queen's birthday party, abruptly excused himself upon hearing, "Sorry, I can't stay any longer, Twin Peaks is about to begin."
ABOUT THE SOUNDTRACK
A significant part of the success of Twin Peaks can be attributed to the fantastic music of Angelo Badalamenti (1937 - 2022), whose score perfectly captured a chilling atmosphere. His Twin Peaks Theme won a Grammy in 1990, and according to The Guardian, there still hasn't been a TV show with a better soundtrack.
Badalamenti and Lynch had a long-standing relationship: Badalamenti also composed the scores for Lynch's classics Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990), and would later do so for The Straight Story (1999) and Mulholland Drive (2001). The two were well attuned to each other: Lynch described the emotions the music needed to evoke, after which Badalamenti would sit at the piano and begin to play. And it worked wonders: according to legend, Love Theme from Twin Peaks was composed in just 20 minutes.
Singer-actress Julee Cruise (1956 - 2022), who had a recurring role as a singer in a roadside diner in Twin Peaks, had known the gentlemen for quite some time: Badalamenti recommended Cruise when Lynch was searching for a singer with a "haunting, ethereal voice" for Blue Velvet. Cruise didn't disappoint: the song Mysteries of Love, heard during the closing scene of Blue Velvet, became immensely popular. Her voice also contributes to the melancholic and eerie atmosphere of Twin Peaks: she can be heard on the score on the tracks The Nightingale, Into the Night, and Falling.
TSAR B & DIJF SANDERS PLAY THE MUSIC OF ANGELO BADALAMENTI
This evening is a tribute to Badalamenti and Cruise, both of whom passed away in 2022. In interviews, Justine Bourgeus (alias Tsar B) consistently mentions Badalamenti when asked about her biggest influence, and Twin Peaks as the artwork that has had the greatest impact on her life. About this project, she says:
"David Lynch taught me how to paint, how to let go, how to meditate, how to approach life, and how to pay attention. Angelo Badalamenti taught me how to create soundtracks. So, this is an ode to Badalamenti, who might be flying around here somewhere."
Dijf Sanders adds:
"David Lynch shifts small parameters that estrange reality. That's what my experimental music needs: not excess, but small, estranging shifts."