Dengue Fever is anything but your average indie-rock combo. Based in Los Angeles, the exotic six-piece outfit is fronted by Chhom Nimol, who sings in her native Cambodian dialect, backed by guitarist Zac Holtzman, his brother Ethan (keyboards), Senon Williams (bass), David Ralicke (horns) and Paul Smith (drums). Some photos of the boys in the band from their three previous albums look like they’ve come from Homeland Security’s no-fly list. In reality, Dengue Fever may be the best U.S. cultural ambassadors to Southeast Asia since the glory days of jazz stars Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane 50 years ago. The band’s “new” album, Dengue Fever Presents Electric Cambodia (Minky), spotlights vintage performances by its favorite Cambodian artists from the late ’60s/early ’70s. Dengue Fever will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with them.
Senon Williams: I love my studio, the Shoebox, in Los Angeles. It is where I live half my life. It is a cave of pleasure. Time has no value here, hunger subsides, and plans go forgotten. It is as if the walls breed life; she doesn’t let me sleep often, but that is OK. I feel rested anyhow. The walls sweat sometimes. Gifts appear here: a new mic or an amp, a guitar effect or two. It seems the Shoebox loves me, too. Music lives here, and so do I. This favorite thing is a place: a dark, beautiful place.
