Photo courtesy of Twin Temple. Catch Twin Temple at Bi Nuu on Feb 10, 20:00.
Twin Temple’s Alexandra James on the politics of doo-wop satanism.
“One of the things that originally drew us to our art form is its role in advocating freedom, individuality, pushing back against societal norms and that racist old guard. A lot of people discount doo-wop for its sweet melodies and barbershop harmonies, but you have to remember that classic rock and roll was right there on the front-lines of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Once we gave ourselves permission to combine our love for that music with our passion for witchcraft and the occult, it all became so obvious. You know, the simple act of our being together, of bucking the standards of what is acceptable, that is us being satanic. A big part of the satanic practice is donning the mantle of that which is feared, not only accepting but heightening that black sheep mentality, saying I am that witch; I am unapologetic. If you look at the Malleus Maleficarum, one of the earliest writings of the witch hunt in America, almost all of it was centred on devious sexual activities witches were doing with their bodies when men weren’t looking. This was over 500 years ago, and yet that control of non-male bodies is still part of our world today. We have elected a president into office who was caught on camera admitting to sexually abusing women! The beauty of satanism is that there is no conversion, no codified belief system other than your own. Our satanism celebrates the idea that each person should be allowed to express who they are freely, and right now we’re nowhere near that society. Our show is just that: a combo of danceable rock and roll, greased hair, satanic ritual and hexing the patriarchy.”
Twin Temple | Bi Nuu, Kreuzberg. Feb 10, 20:00.