Breakfast with Rolfe Kent and Dexter Morgan

The Simplest Connection: Breakfast with Rolfe Kent and Dexter Morgan

By Alex Leach

I cannot make it through the first three minutes of an episode of Dexter without bolting to the kitchen for a quick breakfast fix. I am not the world’s biggest fan of ham, but throughout Dexter’s 5 season history I have digested more ham and eggs than I ever thought possible (specifically ham steak in a frypan, fried eggs with Red Hot, coffee through a French press, and freshly squeezed blood orange juice). Considering this is a show about serial killers with a healthy dose of blood and guts, equating it with food may seem a bit disturbing, but I’m sure those of you familiar with Dexter can feel my hunger pain. Quite simply, the Emmy Award winning show open by Digital Kitchen with music by Rolfe Kent is DELCIOUS. It succeeds on every front with visuals and a sizzling sound design that leave me hungry every time. Breakfast cravings aside, it effectively introduces Dexter Morgan as a guy who wakes up and puts on his pants the same as everyone else, but his pants are creepy. I love Rolfe Kent’s quirky score – it is simple and mischievous. Using guiro and a Turkish saz, the instrumentation sets the sinister mood with enough of a Latin vibe to put us in Miami. I find the tempo hypnotic and dreamlike, but it fills me with unease as if it may speed up and leave me in a funhouse from hell. The music and visuals tell quite an engaging story, but is the sound design that gets me: the explosive sizzle as the ham hits the frying pan, the knife slicing through egg and orange, the splash of hot sauce……I have watched Dexter at all hours and no matter what time of the day it is I MUST have breakfast.

There isn’t much of a psychological study here. Why does the Dexter show open make me hungry? Because the elements are brought together so effectively. If you have not boarded the Dexter train I recommend you start watching immediately. In the meantime, here is the brilliant show open to whet your appetite:

Speaking of Rolfe Kent, if you are seeking meditative music that both relaxes and inspires, he released a series of tracks last year on itunes and amazon called “The Zen Effect – targeted tones for happiness, health, focus and music making.” He describes the tracks as “warm unchanging tones” The music functions as a productive substitute for silence, so you can focus on the task at hand without noisy distractions. How can you pass up an opportunity like this from one of the most intellegint musical minds of our time? Give the Zen Effect a shot!

http://www.ZenEffectMusic.com/

One Response to “Breakfast with Rolfe Kent and Dexter Morgan”

1. Actor's reel says:

   November 14, 2011 at 7:51 pm

   I like your website

   Reply