Perturbator

James Kent, better known as Perturbator, is an electronic/synthwave musician from Paris, France.

Kent has a background as a guitar player in several black metal bands. Since 2012 he has produced electronic music inspired by cyberpunk culture and with inspiration from movies like Akira, Ghost In The Shell and The Running Man. He uses a variety of software synths in his productions, such as the emulators of old vintage synths like the OB-X or the CS-80. Since his debut EP Night Driving Avenger he has released four full-length albums, the latest of which is The Uncanny Valley on the Blood Music label, and has performed several live shows. Several of his tracks were featured in the 2012 game Hotline Miami and its 2015 sequel Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Perturbator's EP Sexualizer was released in part to officially release the song "Miami Disco" and as a way to thank the developers of Hotline Miami. The success of the Hotline Miami games resulted in a greater amount of exposure to a mainstream audience.

Perturbator released his fourth full-length album The Uncanny Valley on May 6, 2016 through Blood Music on a range of formats including Digibook CD, vinyl, and cassette tape. The album was met with generally positive reviews, with MetalSucks and Bloody Disgusting both writing in praise of it. Some versions of the album also included a bonus EP, with Kent writing that "The first three songs complement the themes covered within “The Uncanny Valley,” and the final track - “VERS/US” - is a demo from “The Uncanny Valley” writing sessions that fits the mood and atmosphere of the album but didn't quite make it into the final cut." Bloody Disgusting gave the album 5/5 and wrote that The Uncanny Valley "is sure to not only please fans of the genre but also win over newcomers."

Kent became interested in music in part due to the influence of his parents, who are journalists and rock music critics. His parents were themselves musicians and had a trance/techno band when they were young, which influenced Kent to take an interest in synthesizers.

Kent also has a side project called L'Enfant De La Forêt.

Adapted from AllMusic and official website.

Studio albums

• TERROR 404 (May 2012, Self Released)
• I Am the Night (December 2012, Self Released)
• Dangerous Days (June 2014, Blood Music / Telefuture Records)
• The Uncanny Valley (May 2016, Blood Music)

EPs

• Night Driving Avenger (March 2012, Self Released)
• Nocturne City (August 2012, Aphasia Records)
• The 80s Slasher (October 2012, together with Protector 101, Aphasia Records)
• Split (March 2013, Revolving Door Records) - Collaboration between Perturbator and Protector 101
• Sexualizer (June 2013, Aphasia Records)
• The Uncanny Valley - Bonus (May 2016, Blood Music)

Singles

• "She Moves Like a Knife" (January 2014)
• "She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next" (March 2015)
• "Assault" (April 2015)
• "Tactical Precision Disarray" (December 2016)

• "Perturbator Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2016. 
• "Perturbator | The Legend Says He's Half Human, Half Synthesizer...". www.perturbator.com. Retrieved May 5, 2016.