Suspiria (1977)

2020

1Mar

4PM

&8PM

Hamer Hall

"Once again, Hear My Eyes have brought together a perfect match of visuals and music. Not only was it a truly unique viewing experience, you couldn’t help but smile as funky ’70s bass and synth dazzlingly accentuated Argento’s hyper colour horror masterpiece." ★★★★ Beat Magazine

After huge sold-out shows in 2018 and 2019, Hear My Eyes returned to Arts Centre Melbourne to present a truly unique sensory experience; Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) with a completely new score, written and performed live by a group of musicians specifically curated for the event. The supergroup directed by Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard) and Joey Walker (King Gizzard / Bullant) also featured Carolyn Schofield (Fia Fiell), Leah Senior, Michael Cavanagh (King Gizzard), Genevieve Fry (Cold Hands Warm Heart) and the Melbourne Chamber Choir - an eclectic lineup curated by Hear My Eyes founder and artistic director Haydn Green.

"The original score was replaced by a live and lavish performance and the blaring score heightened by the sumptuous visuals of this celluloid film. It was all rollicking good fun" ★★★★ The Age

A pivotal moment in horror cinema that dispensed the shackles of Hollywood realism and bore to the screen one of cinema’s greatest sensory experiences - a vivid, immersive film defined by it’s intoxicating celluloid technicolour visuals and Luciano Tovoli’s mind-warping cinematography. Co-musical directors Joe Walker & Stu McKenzie, best known as two of the minds behind the genre-defying international juggernaut; King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, piloted the composition while working alongside fellow band member, Micahel Cavanaugh (drums and timpani) and a curated supergroup of world class musicians. Walker and Mckenzie utilized a combination of guitar, synthesizers and additional electronic instruments to create a hallucinatory experience matched only by the film itself.

The new composition featured a kaleidoscope of aural elements including the chilling vocal range of Leah Senior, an on-stage performance by the Melbourne Chamber Choir performing Gregorian chants and a transcending harp performance by Genevieve Fry.

The structure of the performance was also underpinned by modern electronic textures ranging from minimal and ambient, to dark bass driven explorations as Walker draws from his experimental electronic side project Bullant.

Bolstering this crucial electronic element was the critically acclaimed Carolyn Schofield, who under the name Fia Fiell expertly processes multiple synthesizers in real time to create ethereal and prognostic soundscapes. This unique combination created harmonious movement that continually drew the audience in through hypnotic rhythms and sonic tension.

Hear My Eyes fans had the chance to witness the artistic horror of Suspiria amplified in ways never experienced before. R18+; 4K presentation, Italian Language with English Subtitles; Dialogue, SFX audio and foley present in sound mix.