It’s interesting that the most repeated line in Blood Cultures – “Dunk On Me” is “They don’t know you”. Because as I write this, I can say with utmost honesty. I don’t know anything about this band.
Don’t think I didn’t try to do my research. Ordinarily, when we have the opportunity to talk about a band, we are sent a page and a half of information on them. Most of the time I already have some idea of who this band is, even if I don’t, the internet makes it impossible for any group to be that enigmatic. Even Daft Punk has face photos on Google Images.
None of the above is so with Blood Cultures, forget knowing what they look like, I don’t even know any of the members’ names. This is all quite purposeful on the band’s part because when you can’t speak on the group’s past, personal details, or appearance, you are left with one thing: the music. And in this case, the Argento-like imagery of the video.
“Dunk On Me” is an eery, deceptively harmonious piece, with moments of crashing drum beats and sonorous cymbal. Based on the lyrics, one might think this is meant to be a love song. From the video, it appears to be something much darker.
A girl in a school uniform, face, and hair bleached of color. The pastel and Archie comics colored gym suits worn by the students. An inhuman face painted black and white. A bloody sacrifice in the woods. These are just a few of the images provided to us from the video.
Themes of Carrie, Possession, and The Crucible carry over into this video, all of which lead up to what appears to be a very domestic scene. Two young women sit atop a bed, one of them lies in front of the other, her long hair being stroked by her friend, or more likely, her lover. The girl who slaughtered her in the woods in a previous scene.
The greatest overarching theme in the song and the video, and with the band in general, appears to be a fear of the unknown. Encountering someone new who intrigues us. Attending a new school, exploring a vast forest.
Finding a new band. I’ll admit, I am already three pages deep into Google images with this one. I don’t expect to find anything, but there’s that fear of the unknown again.
You can find Blood Cultures on Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify.
