Theo Travis - alto flute, soprano sax, piano, gongs,loops
Dave Sturt - ac & el basses, sound design, programming, loops

BBC Radio 4 Today programme feature - April 30 2009 7.46 am (4.05 mins)

The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari

To coincide with the ninetieth anniversary of the classic silent horror film – The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Cipher will be touring the UK in Feb/March/April 2010 with their new score performing it live along with the film.

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is one of the earliest, most influential and most artistically acclaimed German Expressionist films. The film tells the story of the deranged Dr. Caligari and his faithful sleepwalking Cesare, and their connection to a string of murders. Critics worldwide have praised the film for its expressionist style, complete with wild, distorted set design including crooked buildings and twisted landscapes. The film also boasts one of the first attempts at a twist ending, something quite new and shocking for its time.

This is a genuinely creepy film which delves deep into the mysteries of the abnormal mind...an uncomfortable journey to say the least. Everyone is suspect and, in the end, we must ask ourselves: "who is really the mad one here?"

Subtle and ingenious, we see the world the way an insane person might see it; warped and confused, a nightmarish terrain where nothing makes sense and balance is not to be found.

The impact of this film is still being felt and seen today, and for good reason. Caligari has been cited as an influence on film noir, one of the earliest horror films, and a model for directors for many decades. It is a shocking, disturbing masterpiece.

Cipher's score incorporates hypnotic low flutes, haunting saxophones, dark soundscapes, pulsing beats, deep bass and rich textural landscapes.

Performances
Spring 2010
Tues Feb 9 - Lincoln. The Hub, Sleaford, Carre Street, Lincolnshire NG34 7TW (01529 308710)thehubcentre.info
Fri Feb 12 - Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry.(024 7652 4524) warwickartscentre.co.uk

Fri 5 March - Derby. University. Details tbc.
Fri 19 March - Stamford Arts Centre 27 St Mary's Street Lincs. PE9 2DL (01780 763 203)
Sun 21 March 5 pm - Cardiff - Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, CF5 (029 2031 1050)
Thurs 25 March -Bradford -Pictureville / National Media Museum, West Yorkshire, BD1 1NQ (0870 70 10 200)
Fri 26 March - Saltburn - Theatre. Albion Terrace, Saltburn by the Sea TS12 1J

Thurs 15 April - Norwich - Arts Centre

Sat 15 May - Leicester - Phoenix Square Cinema (0116 242 2800)


Cipher gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance from the Arts Council East Midlands


Observations: Weird sounds emanate from the cabinet of Dr Caligari
By Elisa Bray. Independent
It's the most influential of German Expressionist films. Now, to mark the 90th anniversary of the making of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, the electro-jazz duo Cipher have composed a new soundtrack to accompany its nightmarish scenes.
Updating the tradition of live pianists in cinemas, the duo are performing the new score live as the silent film is screened in its original hand-tinted version across the country this month. Cipher's Theo Travis plays haunting soprano saxophone, flute and keys, and Dave Sturt plays fretless bass while using pedals to produce the sounds that create their layered, dark, atmospheric music.
Director Robert Wiene's 1920 film tells the tale of Dr Caligari, a hypnotist who travels the carnival circuit with somnambulist Cesare. When a series of murders coincides with the pair's visit, it appears the hypnotist has been ordering Cesare to commit the murders. But is all as it seems?
Cipher have a history of writing scores for sinister films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Lodger and Blackmail, FW Murnau's The Last Laugh, and GW Pabst's Pandora's Box in their repertoire.
Travis explains: "We tend to pick films that are dark to write new music for. It's about capturing the mood of the film with a mixture of improvisation and composition. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is one of the most moody and dramatic films ever made, one that continues to exert a huge influence on film-makers".

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