A Silent Film Series Makes Noise

© rumbum.com, Tracy Block

Terence at News Lounge Miami

It’s Monday at The News Lounge in Miami, and there’s a chance you’re second guessing the weekend’s actually over because the house is packed. The wait staff is scrambling so patrons don’t get parched, the pool table is seeing steady action – as usual. Outdoor seating is scarce, which must mean business is good, because you’re rarely left standing at The News. Folks are chatting, sipping, smoking and watching as live graffiti artists tag a towering canvas more than 10 feet high. DJ Escher spins Down Tempo Drum & Bass and a breakdancer completes the picture. If it were a still frame, you might just convince yourself that this exact moment is scene from out of some urbanite hipster flick. But it’s not. It’s just Monday night at 55th Street Station’s home of the lounge lizards.

Not to say The News (as the regulars call it) doesn’t pay homage to the art of film, for it most definitely shines in its own light with cinematic greatness. Sunday, May 17 will mark the fifth project for resident DJ, Terence – as he simply likes to be called – as he conducts a live score of Alfred Hitchcock’s silent picture “The Lodger,” a 1927 Jack the Ripper-esque London murder mystery, which Hitchcock claims to be his first film (it’s documented as his third). Terence will direct his interpretation of what he describes as the “dark, intense, electronic thriller” along with a harpist and bassist aside his decks. Together, the trio will create a live art interpretation of the film, which essentially presents an entirely different medium of the way silent cinema is both presented and perceived.

The Miami Art Museum Contemporaries, paired with The News Lounge, creates the ideal ambience for 'Cinematic Sounds’ every third sunday and appeals to a wide spectrum of viewers.  “This film has been around for so long and this is a way to reconnect people,” General Manager Alicia Triana says, who also praises Terence’s selections for being handpicked and high-quality to create the right kind of flow. “The music incorporates a sort of Renaissance aspect. You’re not only watching a masterpiece, but listening to a whole new soundtrack. The interactive performance engages all of the senses and makes for the perfect piece."

Terence, who scored his first silent film, “The Metropolis,” just a few months ago, has since matched original, riveting soundtracks to three others (“The Kid,” “Nosferatu,” “Tumbleweeds”), marrying them with an artful cacophony of both electronic and live sound. “The idea was born from my girlfriend’s movie background, it offered a challenge to score a movie utilizing the concept of synching beats, lyrics and good music,” Terence says. “It’s kind of magical.”

Terence, who is originally from Avignon, France, moved to Miami in 1990 and  began his craft on the turntables dominating genres including Jungle, Trip-Hop and Down Tempo, and still conforms to his ‘vinyl-ONLY’ style during today’s Digital Age. He eventually progressed into Funk rarities, Disco blends, African beats and Rock in its entirety, and has found much reward in the score; the newest stage in his musical evolution. “With each film, it doesn’t get any easier,” says Terence, who can spend anywhere from three days to three weeks to complete the process. “I begin with something I know [a backing track], that’s already in my repertoire, and fill in the puzzle as I go. If something doesn’t fit with a scene, I move on, then revisit until I’m happy with the final product.” His work on “The Lodger” stemmed from its thrilling and suspenseful tones. The film will feature a breakdown of tracks: 70 percent instrumental and 30 percent lyrical music, including a stirring mess of ninja beats and dark Trip-Hop.

To enhance the viewing experience, The News Lounge will offer drink specials and complimentary popcorn. The wait staff will be on hand throughout, in case you are too engaged to take a bar break. Enjoy the flick al fresco on a warm, Sunday evening with friends. Plan ahead for good seating, or let the film act as a background, it’s your call. Let Terence, MAM Contemporaries and The News tantalize you wholeheartedly on your cinematic escape out of reality, beginning promptly at 8 p.m.