The Night Temple News Space

Launching the official Night Temple News Space

Written by Carisa Bianca Mellado

This is Carisa, of The Night Temple, which I run with my husband Andrew Dalziell. I'm a songwriter, composer, artist, filmmaker and singer who, along with my husband, felt the need to break down some of the barriers that exist in this top down, like-frenzied, diversity deprived world of film and indie music. I was a teen in the 90s, and the idea of discovering an unknown yet incredible artist or filmmaker in a pile of vinyl or VHS, was, and still is, an incredibly exciting experience. I love a world where visibility as an artist isn't necessarily dependent on your level of comfort with the limelight or your social media skills. I love the world of the introverted artist who dreams in the silence in places unknown. I love the world of discovery. That's what The Night Temple is all about. Discovery, artist empowerment and connection.

As a singer and person who has played in indie bands since the 90s, my health and sanity has always depended on my ability to perform live on a regular basis. I also love to discover and celebrate the incredible talent of other artists and creators. I love to feel and hear hearts, vulnerability, experimentation, ferocity, bravery, transgression, joy, love, and humanity in a close and vulnerable space. After playing for decades in bars, clubs and music venues, continuing to perform in this world felt harsh after the pandemic. My nervous system needed a warmer, more loving, safer space. All of this and the industry strike, that left a void, led to the creation of The Night Temple.

It started in the living room of our one bedroom apartment, 'cos why not?! I used to run an indie radio station and music blog that held monthly events in LA from 2011 to 2015 and I learned from this, that some of the most enjoyable shows were held in odd spaces, including apartments. The choice to bring the indie music world to the world of music for visual media felt like proper transgression that liberated us from the social and unspoken rules inherent in both worlds that Andrew and I walked in. It felt like freedom and joy. Composers rarely get to perform live, songwriter artists rarely get to perform with a choir and orchestral instruments and audiences usually experience orchestral instruments from a distance, unlike the close atmosphere we are used to in the indie music world. Likewise, indie musicians rarely get a focused sit down audience, another gift of breaking down these walls.

Beyond this we are art lovers, punks, lovers of theater and dance, film buffs, podcasters, and I've been making films since I was very young. I spent my teens making more shorts and music videos than I can even remember and have continued with this work as an add-on to my music since then. So we really wanted to support filmmakers and visual media creators of all types and their relationship with this music world. We support and celebrate all creative mediums and all are welcome in this space.

Our logo is a runic symbol that means "daylight, breakthrough." I taught meditation, reiki, tarot, astrology, mythology and more for many years and this is woven into the fabric of all I do, including The Night Temple. I have a love of nature, humanity, spirituality and meditation. We care about humanity, freedom, love, empathy and creativity. This space will host celebrations of art and events through reviews, news updates about upcoming releases and events, member spotlights, artist interviews, and our personal posts . We'll also have personal posts from our Night Temple community. Stay tuned :)

-Carisa x

The Night Temple String Night August, left to right Yuxuan Liu, Catherine Joy, Robinton Hobbs, Leo Birenberg, Carisa Bianca Mellado, Andrew Dalziell. Photo by Owen Nathaniel