Horror as a genre is inherently punk rock. It attracts filmmakers with no backing whatsoever, as they pick up a camera, call in friends and favors, and make something together. When Marnus Strydom’s work came across my desk, I was instantly reminded of so many things that drew me to the genre in the first place.
Strydom creates visuals for the South African post-punk band Pussy Heaven. The band is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and Strydom describes his work as “almost how Gorillaz approached their craft with the two aspects to the act, but not quite, because I am no Jamie Hewlett.”
When it comes to Strydom’s video creations and role within the band, Pussy Heaven member Tessa Lily responded to a comment inquiring who was responsible for the “Hushpuppy” video with, “I'll be the first to admit we'd be nothing without our fourth member Marnus Strydom the visual mastermind.”
The band prides themselves in a DIY approach to the music scene, including custom visuals for every live show, with no repeats. As a horror fan, Strydom draws inspiration from our favorite genre.
“My visuals have always been rooted in the horror genre. I grew up in a very, very small South African town and I've found a home in the online horror community,” says Strydom. “My aspiration is to be a horror filmmaker and Pussy Heaven's sonic atmosphere provides me with the perfect landscape to build that dream upon.”
The visuals for Pussy Heaven’s second single were created “using just a flashlight and camera for a rig.” A friend of the band (Juliet Markantonatos) made the mask, new friend Rachelle Venter stepped in with dance skills, and they were off to the races.
I guess I’ll always have a deep well reserved in my heart for the folks who just… figure shit out. No budget, no backing, just creativity and the will to make something. The result is intriguing, haunting. Bare bones nightmare stuff used effectively.
Pussy Heaven’s collaboration with Strydom makes perfect sense when you hear PH’s Tessa talk about musical influences, “I’ve always been interested in film scoring in the sense that I love exploring sonic themes and tones and the way they move people, more than I care for melody, structure and other conventional songwriting approaches. Cinema is a big inspiration for me in that way.”
After watching the video, it will come as no surprise that Strydom’s inspiration is rooted in horror films “I’ve been inspired by so many horror filmmakers and the DIY approach they use to bring their imagination to life,” adding, “Unfortunately, the South African film and television landscape is quite conservative and it's not that easy to get projects off the ground on a local level. I am loving playing with the genre on my own terms through the band.”
In a landscape that may feel a world away from the big players in the industry, Pussy Heaven is carving their own path. I’m secretly hoping maybe they’ll somehow join forces with South African Fried Barry and Street Trash filmmaker Ryan Kruger. I dunno, I feel like they’d have lots to talk about.
The band describes “Hushpuppy” as ultimately a conversation about grief. Tessa elaborates:
“When my mother died, I felt apathy towards everyday life and really struggled with the idea of life just going on while mine had so fundamentally changed. I became withdrawn and experienced the complete dissolution of my identity. I didn’t know who I was without her, I didn’t know what I felt, if I felt anything. It was like I’d fallen into this abstract black void and was helpless while it consumed me. Grief is a strange thing, when we grieve the loss of someone we’re also grieving our own death in a way. The line ‘I don’t know why, but I’m going to find out’ is about acknowledging that inevitability.”
Watch the “Hushpuppy” visualizer below, and find Pussy Heaven on all digital streaming services. Take it from me, some wild stuff comes up when you do a quick google search for the band, so let me help you out with this direct link to follow them on social media.
