‘Twin Peaks’ to be ‘re-soundtracked’ by Silent Drape Runners

It’s no longer unusual for vintage silent films to be shown with live music provided by a pianist, organist or even an orchestra. Occasionally, enterprising presenters host screenings of classic sound films with on-site orchestral backing: “West Side Story” was shown that way in 2011 at the Hollywood Bowl to accompaniment provided by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

It’s rare, however, for a cult TV classic to get that kind of treatment, but Brooklyn-based electronic music duo Silent Drape Runners will take a stab at Thursday, Nov. 15, creating a new soundtrack for the premiere episode of David Lynch’s ground-breaking 1990s mystery series “Twin Peaks,” replacing the signature music by composer Angelo Badalamenti and prominently featuring singer Julee Cruise.

Keyboardist-DJ Russ Marshalek and singer Sophie Weiner have done it “quite a few times before,” Weiner said, supplying ominous beats, haunting vocals and eerie tape loops along with Lynch’s signature imagery as the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Wash., begins.

“We definitely love Badalamenti’s work,” Weiner tells Pop & Hiss, “and it’s been surprising how enthusiastic the show’s fan base has been about our idea... I think it’s because what we do is so dramatically different that no one could say we are even in the same realm as him.

“Re-soundtracking ‘Twin Peaks’ is how our band got started about a year ago,” she added. “We’ve also done an event where we re-soundtracked ‘The Little Mermaid’ with rave/house music, which was really fun. We sort of wanted to do something that was the opposite of ‘Twin Peaks’.”

Promoters say Thursday’s presentation will include “Twin Peaks”-themed surprises, and Silent Drape Runners will DJ a dance party after the screening and performance.

The re-soundtracking of “Twin Peaks” will take place at 9 p.m. Thursday at the Echo Country Outpost, 1770 Glendale Blvd. in Echo Park. Admission is $5.

Here’s an excerpt from an earlier performance:

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