Perturbator

Perturbator is the project of James Kent, a French electronic musician from Paris, France, working in darksynth, EBM, electronic, industrial and synthwave. Born in 1993, Kent makes dark, retrofuturistic music shaped by 1980s sounds and is often associated with synthwave and retrowave.

Background and style

Kent starts out as a guitar player in several black metal bands before moving into electronic production. Since 2012, he has focused on music influenced by cyberpunk culture and by films such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell and The Running Man. He also uses software synthesizers in his productions, including emulations of vintage instruments such as the OB-X and CS-80.

Releases and recognition

His debut EP is Night Driving Avenger, and he goes on to release four full-length albums. The Uncanny Valley is his fourth album and appears on Blood Music; it receives generally positive reviews, with MetalSucks and Bloody Disgusting both praising it. Some editions include a bonus EP, including the track “VERS/US”, which Kent describes as a demo from the album sessions that fits its mood but does not make the final cut.

Games, EPs and live work

Several Perturbator tracks appear in Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, and the success of those games brings him wider mainstream attention. The EP Sexualizer is released in part to officially issue “Miami Disco” and to thank the developers of Hotline Miami. He also performs live shows.

Other work and family influence

Kent’s interest in music is shaped in part by his parents, who are journalists and rock critics and were also musicians in a tech trance band when they are young. Their background helps lead him towards synthesizers. He also has a side project called L'Enfant De La Forêt.