Sandro Perri
Encyclopedia
Sandro Perri is a musician and producer from Toronto
, Canada
. His music has been called post-rock
, electronic
, experimental
, ambient
, folk
among others.
Between 1999 and 2002, Perri self-released a series of 12" records on his own Audi Sensa label. Most notably, he adopted the moniker Polmo Polpo for some of his electronic compositions. Polmo Polpo is characterized by distorted drones, subtle rhythms, and ambient textures. The Science of Breath
, featuring tracks culled from these records, was released in 2002 by Alien 8 Recordings; his official debut came in 2003 on Constellation Records
, entitled Like Hearts Swelling
. "Polmo Polpo" loosely translates as "octopus
lung
" in Italian
.
He began touring under his own name, singing and playing more folk
-tinged songs, initially acoustic reworkings of his Polmo Polpo recordings. Four songs were self-released on the Friends Help Friends EP in 2005, re-released a year later (with an additional song) on Constellation as Plays Polmo Polpo
. In 2007, his debut full-length as Sandro Perri was released, also by Constellation, entitled Tiny Mirrors
.
Perri is a frequent collaborator, having played with the Great Lake Swimmers
, Detective Kalita
, Barzin
, and others. His other projects include Dot Wiggin with the late Todd Fox, Glissandro 70 with Craig Dunsmuir, Double Suicide with Ryan Driver, and Continuous Dick with Adam Marshall and Andrew Wedman.
In 2011, Perri, Christine Fellows
and John K. Samson
participated in the National Parks Project
, working with filmmaker Daniel Cockburn to produce and score a short film about Ontario
's Bruce Peninsula National Park
.
2001: Acqua/Oarca
2002: Riva/Rottura
2002: The Science of Breath
2003: Like Hearts Swelling
2005: Kiss Me Again and Again
as Sandro Perri
2006: Plays Polmo Polpo
2007: Sandro Perri and Friends - European Tour 2007
2007: Tiny Mirrors
2011: Impossible Spaces
others
1999: Cog / Polmo Polpo - split 12"
2000: Dot Wiggin - Dot Wiggin
2002: Tinketertoy / Polmo Polpo - split 12"
2005: Adam Marshall / Continuous Dick - Birth Of A Dick 12"
2006: Glissandro 70 - Glissandro 70
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His music has been called post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
among others.
Between 1999 and 2002, Perri self-released a series of 12" records on his own Audi Sensa label. Most notably, he adopted the moniker Polmo Polpo for some of his electronic compositions. Polmo Polpo is characterized by distorted drones, subtle rhythms, and ambient textures. The Science of Breath
The Science of Breath
The Science of Breath was a 2002 album by Sandro Perri under the name Polmo Polpo. Fusing Dark Ambient and Ambient Techno music, the record was well-received critically. It was followed in 2003 by Like Hearts Swelling....
, featuring tracks culled from these records, was released in 2002 by Alien 8 Recordings; his official debut came in 2003 on Constellation Records
Constellation Records
Constellation Records is an influential Montreal, Quebec independent record label known for its contributions to experimental genres of music. It is most famous for releasing the albums of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, and Do Make Say...
, entitled Like Hearts Swelling
Like Hearts Swelling
Like Hearts Swelling is a 2003 album by Polmo Polpo. This album is the first release by Polmo Polpo after switching to Constellation Records.The third track, "Farewell", was played by John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
. "Polmo Polpo" loosely translates as "octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
" in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
He began touring under his own name, singing and playing more folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-tinged songs, initially acoustic reworkings of his Polmo Polpo recordings. Four songs were self-released on the Friends Help Friends EP in 2005, re-released a year later (with an additional song) on Constellation as Plays Polmo Polpo
Plays Polmo Polpo
Plays Polmo Polpo is the first record by Sandro Perri under his own name. The first three tracks are covers of songs off of Perri's album Like Hearts Swelling, which he released in 2003 under the name Polmo Polpo...
. In 2007, his debut full-length as Sandro Perri was released, also by Constellation, entitled Tiny Mirrors
Tiny Mirrors
Tiny Mirrors is the first full-length recording by Sandro Perri under his own name, following an E.P. on Constellation Records.-Track listing:# "Family Tree" - 3:36# "City of Museums" - 3:06# "Double Suicide" - 5:49# "The Drums" - 3:27...
.
Perri is a frequent collaborator, having played with the Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian band built around the melodic folk rock songs of singer-songwriter Tony Dekker. Originally from Wainfleet, Ontario, the band is currently based in Toronto....
, Detective Kalita
Detective Kalita
Detective Kalita is a Toronto indie rock band, consisting of singer, songwriter and guitarist Andy Swan, guitarist and lap steel player Sandro Perri, bassist Greg Smith and drummer Shayne "The Velvet Fog" Cox.The band releases its material on Kelp Records...
, Barzin
Barzin
Barzin is the name of a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his slow and melancholic songs. Barzin has released three albums in his career, and his style has been compared to such bands as Mojave 3 and Mazzy Star.-Biography:...
, and others. His other projects include Dot Wiggin with the late Todd Fox, Glissandro 70 with Craig Dunsmuir, Double Suicide with Ryan Driver, and Continuous Dick with Adam Marshall and Andrew Wedman.
In 2011, Perri, Christine Fellows
Christine Fellows
Christine Fellows is a Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:Born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in France and Kelowna, British Columbia, Fellows lived in Toronto, Vancouver, Guelph and Montreal before settling in Winnipeg in 1992.In 1993, she formed her first group,...
and John K. Samson
John K. Samson
John Kristjan Samson is a musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a singer-songwriter and currently the frontman of the Canadian folk punk band The Weakerthans...
participated in the National Parks Project
National Parks Project
The National Parks Project is a Canadian music and film project. Released in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks of Canada system, the project sent three Canadian musicians and a filmmaker to each of 13 Canadian national parks, one in each province and...
, working with filmmaker Daniel Cockburn to produce and score a short film about Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
's Bruce Peninsula National Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park is a national park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment, the park comprises 156 square kilometres and is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario, forming the core of UNESCO's Niagara Escarpment World...
.
Discography
as Polmo Polpo2001: Acqua/Oarca
2002: Riva/Rottura
2002: The Science of Breath
The Science of Breath
The Science of Breath was a 2002 album by Sandro Perri under the name Polmo Polpo. Fusing Dark Ambient and Ambient Techno music, the record was well-received critically. It was followed in 2003 by Like Hearts Swelling....
2003: Like Hearts Swelling
Like Hearts Swelling
Like Hearts Swelling is a 2003 album by Polmo Polpo. This album is the first release by Polmo Polpo after switching to Constellation Records.The third track, "Farewell", was played by John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
2005: Kiss Me Again and Again
as Sandro Perri
2006: Plays Polmo Polpo
Plays Polmo Polpo
Plays Polmo Polpo is the first record by Sandro Perri under his own name. The first three tracks are covers of songs off of Perri's album Like Hearts Swelling, which he released in 2003 under the name Polmo Polpo...
2007: Sandro Perri and Friends - European Tour 2007
2007: Tiny Mirrors
Tiny Mirrors
Tiny Mirrors is the first full-length recording by Sandro Perri under his own name, following an E.P. on Constellation Records.-Track listing:# "Family Tree" - 3:36# "City of Museums" - 3:06# "Double Suicide" - 5:49# "The Drums" - 3:27...
2011: Impossible Spaces
others
1999: Cog / Polmo Polpo - split 12"
2000: Dot Wiggin - Dot Wiggin
2002: Tinketertoy / Polmo Polpo - split 12"
2005: Adam Marshall / Continuous Dick - Birth Of A Dick 12"
2006: Glissandro 70 - Glissandro 70