Haley Fohr, of experimental folk project Circuit des Yeux, performs an original soundtrack for one of the first art films ever made—Salomé, the 1923 silent film adaptation of a play by Oscar Wilde.
The plot of Salomé has long been an inspiration for moving musical work, most notably for Strauss’s opera of the same name, which reflects the shock of modernity in Wilde’s text. Like Strauss, Fohr finds contemporary resonance in Salomé’s sensuality and violence, scoring the film with extended vocal technique and beat frequencies to turn a mirror on our time.
Though now regarded as a classic, the film adaptation of Salomé was remarkably less successful upon its release, due in part to the perceived offstage excesses of lead actress and producer Alla Nazimova. In the years since, its combination of Art Nouveau, modernism, and the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age have led to its growing recognition as an exotic gem and a cornerstone of camp.
Presented with the Empty Bottle
Support for Live Arts programming is provided by the Woman’s Board of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About the Artist
Vocalist, composer, and producer Haley Fohr has been performing as Circuit des Yeux since she was eighteen years old and has released records regularly over the past decades, including four full-length albums and several mini-albums and singles. She has been based in Chicago since 2012, but tours often and has played shows everywhere.
Circuit des Yeux is an ardent collaborator, working with performers such as Glenn Branca, Lee Ranaldo, Bill Orcutt, Bitchin Bajas, Bonny ‘Prince’ Billy, and Olivia Block.
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