I haven’t been this excited about discovering a completely new hybrid-genre since first hearing Macha’s self-titled album, with its Indonesian-influenced approach to rock songwriting and instrumentation.
In layman’s terms, Dengue Fever is Cambodian surf rock. In musical elitist terms, it’s a fusion of 60-70’s living dead khmer genre and American rock.
I was mailed a copy of the new Dengue Fever DVD, Sleepwalking Through the Mekong, along with an accompanying documentary soundtrack. I’m playing it nonstop, spinning it for coworkers, on the plane, and the second I checked into my hotels in Austin, New York City, San Antonio and Savannah as my official unpacking soundtrack (it’s been a busy month).
Here’s the DVD trailer:
I have no idea what the lyrics say. In fact, they’re wonderfully foreign. The guitar is meandering and unfamiliar. The bass and drums tend to set forth a creeping, walking beat. Random cymbal crashes, a native lute and some B3 solos make the whole experience all the more an adventure.
Dengue Fever : “March of the Balloon Animals” (mp3)
I love that I don’t know where a song is going next. But despite the unformulaic model, Dengue Fever’s jams are unchallenging to follow.
It’s much experiencing a foreign country: It’s not home. You have no idea what’s going on, but you’re having a great time and never want to leave.
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