Cambodian fever

dengue fever- Chhom Nimol in the phone booth-A Los Angeles band will blend foreign flair with psychedelic rock to electrify audiences tonight at the echoplex.
Whitney Burke


Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Kevin Estrada

Exotic Los Angeles-based Cambodian rock band Dengue Fever performs a special set and screens its documentary tonight at the echoplex at its album release party.The concept of a Cambodian rock band never crossed the mind of Farfisa organ player Ethan Holtzman until an excursion to Cambodia in 1997 connected him with the country's psychedelic pop music of the '60s. Holtzman was immediately captivated by the streaming sounds from the tape player on his taxi's dashboard. When he returned to the United States, Holtzman began a quest to replicate the genre that most people believed had been lost after the Khmer Rouge massacres of the '70s.His dream of creating a Cambodian group was not far from reach, thanks to a large population of Cambodians who lived in Long Beach. And that's where Holtzman went to look for his ideal Cambodian princess to headline his band. At the time, singer Ch'hom Nimol was making a name for herself in the Cambodian wedding circuit, performing in as many events as she could before being sought out by Holtzman as a vocalist."It wasn't hard to find a singer to front the band because the Cambodian population in Long Beach is about 50,000. We found Nimol singing in Khmer at the Dragon House, and from there on out, everything formed naturally," bassist Senon Williams said.Holtzman then recruited Zac Holtzman, a guitarist and his brother; drummer Paul Smith; Williams and David Ralicke on bass to round off the band, Dengue Fever, in 2001. Unsure of how American audiences would respond to such an unusual genre of music, the six-person group tentatively released its self-titled debut album, "Dengue Fever," in 2003. Much to the band's surprise, the CD was well received by American fans, and Williams said the band's connection to the music was almost instantaneous. "We have really grown since the debut of our first album," Williams said. "We really understand one another, and I think the point of our music is that we are heavily influenced by '60s psychedelic rock, but as we grow as a band, we kind of morph this whole sound with other influences to make contemporary music."While "Dengue Fever" paid homage to the master musicians of Cambodian rock who faded away decades ago, the band used these covers as a building block for its junior effort, "Venus on Earth," which features original material written by Zac Holtzman. The bond between bandmates was strengthened during a trip to Cambodia in 2005 when the band immersed itself in lead singer Nimol's native culture."It was great to be in Cambodia and having Nimol expose the rest of us to her culture; it really let us more into her experiences growing up," Williams said.Dengue Fever ventured back to its roots for its Cambodian tour, which is captured in John Pirozzi's documentary, "Sleepwalking Through the Mekong." It explores the homecoming of Dengue Fever's vocalist and the adventure for her American bandmates. The Cambodian audience immediately fell in love with the band, with help from the Cambodia Television Network, which broadcasted its interviews and live performances 24/7."The network rebroadcasted our shows continuously, so word spread fast of our arrival in Cambodia, and in little time we were playing for packed audiences," Williams said.With a third album saturated with fresh songs, Dengue Fever continues to expand musically in order to reach a diverse group of listeners. "At first our fan base was just hipsters and indie rockers, but now we are getting a lot more Cambodian-American listeners," Williams said. "The whole Cambodian community is getting into it, which just means that our fan base is expanding and becoming more diverse." Whether it's a small club or an international festival, Dengue Fever approaches all shows with open arms, seeing them as chances to expose their eclectic sound to new audiences. The band's goal is to put a contemporary flair on the popular psychedelic music of the '60s.Unlike many bands, Dengue Fever is faced with the obstacle of translating songs into Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, which often makes the writing process more complicated. Nimol is beginning to sing more frequently in English, but the band still prefers to have the option of performing songs in either English or Khmer. "Seeing Hands," the debut single off "Venus on Earth," couples majestic sounds with Nimol's crunching lyrics and sweet melodies. Williams calls the track "a true love story that will have a big, immediate impact on fans."-

Dengue Fever will perform and show excerpts from John Pirozzi's documentary, "Sleepwalking Through the Mekong," at its record release party at 8 p.m. at the echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026. Tickets are $13.