North Carolina-based 3 Chambers is announcing a pair of events they will host in April. First on the docket will be the Wachowskis’ cyberpunk hallmark, The Matrix on April 1, as part of the Can I Kick It? screening series with a live scene-by-scene scoring by music duo, Shaolin Jazz.
A Warner Bros. Pictures release in 1999, The Matrix courted a transitional wave of Hong Kong stunt talent into Hollywood for the sci-fi flick starring Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving. Reeves plays computer programmer Thomas Anderson whose alter-ego as covert hacker gets compromised. Branded a terrorist and hunted by government agents, Anderson will be thrust into a journey of self-discovery as he’s forced to question all he once thought as real in lieu of an epic battle to save what’s left of mankind centuries into a cybernetic apocalypse.
The event marks a continued collaborative effort for 3 Chambers with Shaolin Jazz, comprised of Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones. A partnership that began in 2011, Shaolin Jazz is known for fusing mutiple styles of music for an enhanced experience for audiences, blending elements of funk, hip-hop, soul, rock, and more.
For The Matrix, Jones will be at the turn table to bring his own ubiquitous blend of soundbites and techniques to accentuate different moments in the film ranging from aggressive fight scenes to subtle love scenes.
“This isn’t just playing a DJ set during a movie. We incorporate the music with the movie so you can still follow the plot and hear the dialogue. You might have one scene using a song with lyrics and another using instrumental beds underneath. It’s weaving music over and under the film audio, just scoring the film, scene by scene.”
The Matrix will be screened at the Elliott University Center Auditorium on the UNGC campus in Greensboro. The event is free and open to the public, with doors open from 6:00pm EST.
The film is presented by UNCG Human Rights Film Festival and sponsored by UNCG’s Media Studies, Lloyd International Honors College, Peace & Conflict Studies, Political Science and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Other sponsors include Antenna Releasing and Someone’s Favorite Productions.
On April 15, 3 Chambers and Skin & Bones Theater will take to Durham for The RZA and Gerald K. Barclay’s hip-hop concert documentary, A Wu-Tang Experience: Live At The Red Rock Ampitheatre. The screening will be held at The Pinhook 3 Chambers’ Wu-Tang Wednesday series, in a fundraising effort for Skin & Bones Theater, a new independent arthouse cinema and performance venue in downtown Durham.
A Wu-Tang Experience: Live At The Red Rock Ampitheatre chronicles the Wu-Tang Clan’s legendary performance at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2021, backed by the 60-piece Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Performances include live renditions of Wu-Tang classics such as “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Protect Ya Neck, “as well as a special live-score screening of the martial arts classic, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin – MCeed by Shaolin Jazz – which largely inspired the Clan’s aesthetic and the title of their groundbreaking debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Also featured is behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Wu-Tang Clan members, classical musicians, and music historians with deeper insight into hip-hop’s evolving place within the world of prestigious musical genres.
Breaking Glass Pictures acquired the documentary last April ahead of its release a month later.
Tickets are currently on sale at the Pinhook official website, and will also be available on the day of the event. Doors open at 7pm EST with a Wu-Tang set by DJ Damu, followed by the feature presentation at 8pm EST. There will also be Wu-Tang giveaways and Wu-Tang inspired cocktails.
