A former black metal guitarist who switched to dark synthwave, James Kent aka Perturbator got his genre-free attitude toward music from his parents, one of them being rock critic Nick Kent. He was given a Pantera album at the age of three, and a guitar at the age of 11. After learning Tool and Slayer riffs on the guitar, he began writing his own music, but Mom and Dad’s synth collection was also calling, and the younger Kent took to the keyboards with both metal and cyberpunk attitudes.
He debuted his sound with the 2012 EP “Night Driving Avenger” while two albums, “Terror 404” and “I Am the Night”, arrived that same year. The combination of retro-techno and aggression attracted the developers of the campy and violent video game “Hotline Miami”, who added Perturbator to contribute to the 2012 game’s soundtrack. The “Sexualizer” EP followed in 2013, and was reissued by the Finnish extreme metal label Blood Music. The label also issued Perturbator’s concept LP “Dangerous Days” in 2014. Work on the Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number soundtrack followed in 2015, then Dangerous Days’ story of a religion using technology to persuade followers was continued on the 2016 concept album “The Uncanny Valley”.
US TOUR DATES
5/7 @ Oriental Theatre-co – Denver, CO | Tickets
5/9 @ Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL | Tickets
5/10 @ The Loft Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN | Tickets
5/11 @ The Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI | Tickets
5/12 @ Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, Canada | Tickets
5/14 @ The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA | Tickets
5/15 @ Sanctuary – Philadelphia, PA | Tickets
5/16 @ Irving Plaza – New York, NY | Tickets
5/17 @ The Broadberry – Richmond, VA | Tickets
5/18 @ Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA | Tickets
5/19 @ The Orpheum – Ybor City, FL | Tickets
