THE CONCEPT

In 2005 Paul Blom and Sonja Ruppersberg (key members of the Industrial-Metal band TERMINATRYX) created the annual South African HORRORFEST Film Festival, hosted every Halloween season. From the very first installment they introduced one of the festival highlights: once-off live soundtrack performances to the screening of classic silent horror movies.

As producers of this concept, Paul and Sonja are also an active and integral part in the creation and performance of these live soundtracks via their band TERMINATRYX, collaborating with musical friends, some becoming a fixture at each year’s HORRORFEST.

The live soundtrack movies at the S.A. HORRORFEST (and Oppi Koppi music festival) have included:

In 2009, the HORRORFEST infiltrated the Northern regions of South Africa for the very first time via this live soundtrack performance to NOSFERATU at the OPPI KOPPI music festival (in conjunction with the official launch of the “Terminatryx / Nosferatu” DVD, which contains the full feature film and its new soundtrack - as performed live at the South African HORRORFEST Film Festival, plus Terminatryx music videos, a look at the HorrorFest, photo galleries, a dark short film by Paul Blom & Sonja Ruppersberg > featuring a Terminatryx & F8 soundtrack entitled "imPERFECTION").


THE MUSICIANS

Paul Blom & Sonja Ruppersberg :
Paul & Sonja created TERMINATRYX in 2002 (pronounced: “terminaytrix”) in reaction to the local scene lacking in bands catering to their very specific taste. It led to the birth of a female-fronted, electronically infused blend of Industrial, Metal, and several other alternative styles.

Sonja is on vocals with Paul in charge of music and production. They released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album mid-2008, followed by the “Terminatryx / Nosferatu” DVD, and remixes of the album (2010).

They’ve played across South Africa and at the Popkomm music industry convention in Berlin, Germany, and has opened for international acts like DIARY OF DREAMS, SHEEP ON DRUGS, VNV NATION, and SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK.
Currently they’re working on remixes of the album tracks (which will include remixers like Martin Degville from Sigue Sigue Sputnik (UK), Sheep On Drugs (UK), Industriezone (Austria), Modern-e-Quartet (Greece), as well as SA acts like Battery 9, NuL, Mr. Sakitumi, Jekyll & Hyde, iRONic, Axxon etc.

For live Terminatryx shows they are accompanied on stage by Patrick Davidson on guitar and Ronnie Belcher on drums (excluding the live soundtrack performances).

Paul & Sonja are the creators of the South African HORRORFEST-, X FEST-, SOUND ON SCREEN-, DARING DOCCIES-, CELLUDROID Film Festivals, and CINEMANIACS.
Under FLAMEDROP PRODUCTIONS they run these film festivals, produce their own music, short films & music videos, and created & compiled the historic KOPSKOOT! heavy Afrikaans compilation album.

Paul is also a member of South African Metal Godfathers VOICE OF DESTRUCTION (V.O.D) since the late-‘80s, has a solo project entitled F8, and played for K.O.B.U.S. until early 2008.

At the HORRORFEST soundtrack performances Paul and Sonja utilize voices with effects, bass guitar, electric guitar, live drums, programming and keyboards.


Matthijs Van Dijk :
Born into a musical family, Matthijs is a former violin pupil of Jack de Wet and Farida Bacharova. He is an active chamber and orchestral musician, composer and arranger, and completed a B-Mus in Composition at UCT.

As a violinist, he has been involved in numerous chamber ensembles, as well an ad hoc player with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.

Matthijs started composing when he was nine and to date has written 6 string quartets, 2 piano trios, a violin sonata, a symphonic song-cycle, several orchestral overtures and numerous smaller chamber works.

In 2005 Matthijs was nominated for a Kanna Award for his work with Karen Zoid at the KKNK.
In 2006 he orchestrated Phillip Miller’s score for the Philip Noyce film “Catch a Fire” and was also the recipient of the prestigious SAMRO Overseas Scholarship for Composition.
In 2008 the violin and harp duo Clockwise commissioned "Though The Cherry Trees Don’t Blossom…" as part of their national tour of South Africa and performances in the United States.
From 2002 till 2007, Matthijs was the vocalist/guitarist/violinist and songwriter for the Cape Town based rock band DAWN TREADER, releasing an EP in 2007.
Since 2005 he has been involved with soundtrack collaborations at the S.A. HORRORFEST.

Matthijs’ weapon of choice for the live soundtrack performances is an electric violin with multi-effects.

Simon “Fuzzy” Ratcliffe :
Fuzzy began his musical journey playing jazz and swing trumpet, ultimately moving onto various other wind instruments, such as flute and sax, where he's always been his most comfortable. While he's played bass for a while he first started playing upright bass with Capetonian Trip-Hop pioneers 1931 Raygun and has since moved on to various Eastern and World instruments, such as the Armenian Duduk, and Indian Bansuri. Over the years he's played as a session and studio musician, and been involved in various theatre productions.

A sound engineer by profession and owner of Sound & Motion Studios, Fuzzy is probably best known as bassist and wind instrumentalist for groundbreaking electro group LARK.

With almost 15 years in the sound industry behind him, he's worked in various capacities on projects for the likes of Dirty Skirts, Shy Gyevaras, Terminatryx, Fetish, Springbok Nude Girls, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Muse String Quartet, as well as international acts such as Kanye West, INXS, UB40, Steven Spielberg's “Dreamworks” and the BBC. His engineering skills have garnered him wins and nominations in the SAMA, Vita, Loerie & more.

Fuzzy as been with Horrorfest since 2006, and his only regret is that he missed the first one!

The instruments he utilizes for the horror soundtrack performances include: upright bass, bass guitar, flutes and woodwinds, programming, FX and theremin.

Sean Ou Tim :
Sean is a classically trained pianist (starting at the age of 8). He moved on to guitar and bass, and then drums.
He played in various bands incl.: URBAN CREEP, BATTERY 9, GODESSA, MAX NORMAL, LARK, CLOSET SNARE, ANDY LUND & THE MISSION MEN.
He currently performs live electronic beats as MR. SAKITUMI, using live sampling, FX, turntable scratching and bass guitar.

Sean plays live drums and uses samples for the HORRORFEST soundtrack performances.
2009 was Sean’s 4th year involved with the HORRORFEST soundtracks, and he’s lost count of all the Oppi Koppi’s he’s played!