Sandro Perri is a Toronto-based Canadian musician and producer. His work spans folk, experimental music and singer-songwriter material, and it often combines long drones, submerged rhythms and a mix of instrumental sources including slide guitar, strings and accordion.

Projects and recording names

Perri records under his own name and also as Polmo Polpo and Off World. He also plays and releases music as part of Glissandro 70, Double Suicide and Dot Wiggin. In his solo work he sings original songs, sometimes using only kick drum and guitar, and sometimes working with a rotating group of improvisers.

Releases and labels

Between 1999 and 2002, he releases a series of 12-inch records on his own Audi Sensa label under the names Cog, Dot Wiggin and Polmo Polpo. These early Polmo Polpo recordings are compiled and reissued on CD by Alien8 Recordings in 2002. A full-length Polmo Polpo album follows on Constellation in 2003. A self-released CDr of songs under his own name is later reissued by Constellation in 2006, with reinterpretations of material from the Polmo Polpo catalogue and live group performances without electronics. In 2007, he releases another full-length on Constellation, and in 2018 he releases In Another Life, an experiment in “infinite songwriting” made up of two long tracks.

Collaborations and production work

His collaborators include Great Lake Swimmers, Eric Chenaux, Adam Marshall, Andre Ethier, Sawako, Detective Kalita, The Michael Parks, Andy Swan, Barzin, The Singing Saws and Tinkertoy. Behind the board, he engineers, produces or masters recordings for Alex Lukashevsky, Deep Dark United, CJ Boyd, Off The International Radar and Castlemusic, among others. He also remixes work by Stephen Malkmus, Under Byen, Ultra Red, Greek Buck, Nilan Perera and Luis Jacob. Much of this production work takes place in his Toronto home studio, The Honey Pot.

Live work and festivals

Perri tours extensively as Polmo Polpo. He appears at the Constellation European Roadshow in 2004, is invited to Winnipeg’s Send+Receive festival that same year, and plays Montreal’s MUTEK electronic music festival in 2005. He also performs at All Tomorrow’s Parties in the UK, Domino in Belgium, Printemps Du Bourges in France and Klangtransfer Ost-Fest in Germany.

Style and influences

His later self-titled work draws on a wide range of influences, including Caetano Veloso, Skip James, Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Harry Nilsson and Fred Neil. The records feature Toronto avant-garde and improvising musicians, and they are marked by his melodic writing and lyrics.