Ethan Holtzman can still recall the first time he heard 1960s-era Cambodian pop music. The songs buzzed through a badly tuned radio as Holtzman was sitting in a jeep winding its way through the ruins of Angkor, Cambodia, while his friend sat in the front seat suffering from a bout of dengue fever. Holtzman left Cambodia with his luggage crammed with tapes full of Cambodian music, tapes that would later inspire him and his brother to start a band.
Holtzman’s band, aptly named Dengue Fever, will perform tonight in Royce Hall as part of the UCLA Live concert series.
Dengue Fever was formed in 2001 by Holtzman, keyboardist, and his brother, guitarist and co-vocalist, Zac Holtzman. The band plays a fusion of ’60s style Cambodian pop and psychedelic rock, writing many of their songs in Khmer (the official language of Cambodia), while maintaining traditional rock instrumentation.
“We’re basically a Cambodian-style psychedelic rock band,” Ethan Holtzman said.
In addition to the Holtzman brothers, the band features Senon Williams on bass, Paul Smith on drums, David Ralicke on saxophone and Chhom Nimol, a Cambodian-born singer, as lead vocalist.
Cambodian pop music of the 1960s had heavy western influence, leading the traditional Khmer Cambodian sound to blend with rock and roll. Unfortunately, the music died out during the oppressive Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia during the 1970s.
Dengue Fever has resurrected the style, with many of their early recordings being covers of old Cambodian pop standards.
“It’s great to see that the style of music has not been completely lost because of the Khmer Rouge,” said sociology professor Patrick Heuveline, a self-described fan of the band. “It’s great to see the youth reviving the music.”
Today’s performance will differ from the band’s typical concerts. The band will be providing musical accompaniment to a showing of the 1925 stop-motion silent film “The Lost World.” The film follows a group of explorers who venture to a Venezuelan plateau inhabited by dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.
According to film professor Jonathan Kuntz, a musical score is an integral part of viewing a silent movie.
“Silent films are never actually dead silent, they always include some form of musical accompaniment,” Kuntz said. “Without the music, you could not have a good silent film experience.”
Dengue Fever was invited to create a score for the “The Lost World” by the San Francisco International Film Festival. The band performed their original score for the festivalgoers, and it was met with praise and standing ovations.
“This is a unique show, and it’s only our third time performing it,” Holtzman said.
Creating a soundtrack for the film was a new experience for Dengue Fever. The band incorporated instruments they don’t normally use, such as the accordion, the flute and the trombone.
“Our music is kind of exotic, so it really fits the film,” Holtzman said. “There are some relaxing scenes, chaotic fighting scenes and lots of chances for improvisation. We really enjoyed scoring a movie.”
Dengue Fever said that creating and experimenting with music for an entire film is one of their greatest artistic creations.
“People who come to the show will be sonically and visually pleased,” Holtzman said. “It’s a great movie with some great music.”