HISTORY
Nosferatu
Eine Symphonie des Grauens
1922 F.W.Murnau Germany 84 mins 16mm
Soundtrack from TESTCARD.
Electronic voice phenomena (EVP) were first discovered by the Swedish
artist Friedrich Jürgenson in 1959. Jürgenson was recording
birdsong using a reel-to-reel tape recorder. When he replayed the tapes,
he heard faint but intelligible voices in the background, even though
there was no-one else in the vicinity when the recordings were made.
By repeating the procedure, Jürgenson found that the voice recordings
could be reliably replicated. These phenomena were subsequently investigated
by the German parapsychologist Hans Bender and by the Latvian psychologist
Konstantin Raudive.
Taking their inspiration from Jürgenson's work,In this first in
a series of EVP experiments testcard have composed the soundtrack to
Nosferatu using a sound pool of samples taken directly from haunted
locations in Paris,London, Brighton and the Internet.
This is a new genre of cinema from the pioneers of misconstructionism
testcard in collaboration with spirits from beyond the grave….
Nosferatu is said to have been the first occultists film, the set designer
Albin Grau was a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis under Aleister Crowley
and used authentic magical symbols in the film. Murnau is said to have
been inspired by a legend of the nosferatu during a visit to a village
during his wartime experiences. Nosferatu set the precedent for screen
horror with its ground breaking cinematography, the inspired direction
of F.W.Murnau and the enigmatic performance of Max Schreck as the vampire
Graf Orlok.
Shreck departs from the description of Stokers Dracula; preferring the
Vampires of folklore to create a monster who spreads the plague and
pestilence where ever he roamed.
‘Remains one of the poetic of all horror films… a film that
survives repeated viewings’ -Time Out.
LOCATIONS
Ghosthunting societies of the Internet
http://www.gargl.net/lachaise
Père-Lachaise cemetery Paris
The catacombs Paris
Brighton Spiritualist church
All Saints Lewis
Notre Dame Paris
Prison London
TESTCARD are Adrian shephard and mattgray
With thanks to Glen Langdale, Laura Uribe for organ.
Lynsey Welsted, Monica Hogan and Dominic O’Brian for clairvoyant
advice.
This project is dedicated to Carlos Lanterna Magica and Doris Stokes.
TESTCARD have recently returned from performing in Russia, and were
awarded a year of the artist award for the ‘Mirror’ project.
Their notorious Ouija board transmission is featured in John Rackham’s
book ‘Brighton Ghosts, Hove Hauntings’.
Testcard are currently searching for local hauntings for the voice phenomenon
project.
For more information visit www.testcard.org email testcard@rocketmail.com
Purchase
To purchase the full 30 track album please send £10 or a cheque
payable to testcard, c/o brighton cinematheque, 9-12 the media centre,
middle st, brighton, sussex, BN1 1AL, england...or email us at testcard@rocketmail.com
