Jean-Jacques Perrey

Jean-Jacques Perrey

Perrey at a concert in 2006
Background information
Born (1929-01-20)20 January 1929
Paris, France
Origin Paris, France
Died 4 November 2016(2016-11-04) (aged 87)
Morges, Switzerland
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
Years active
  • 1953–83
  • 1996–2010
Associated acts
Website www.jean-jacquesperrey.com

Jean-Jacques Perrey (French: [pɛʁɛ]; 20 January 1929 – 4 November 2016) was a French electronic music producer and was an early pioneer in the genre. He was a member of the electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley.[1]

Biography

Perrey was born in France in 1929. He was studying medicine in Paris when he met Georges Jenny, the inventor of the Ondioline, a type of electronic keyboard. Quitting medical school, Perrey travelled through Europe demonstrating this precursor of the modern synthesizer. At the age of 30, Perrey relocated to New York, sponsored by Caroll Bratman, who built him an experimental laboratory and recording studio. Here he invented "a new process for generating rhythms with sequences and loops", utilising the environmental sounds of "musique concrète." With scissors, splicing tape, and tape recorders, he spent weeks piecing together a uniquely comique take on the future. Befriending Robert Moog, he became one of the first Moog synthesiser musicians, creating "far out electronic entertainment". In 1965 Perrey met Gershon Kingsley, a former colleague of John Cage. Together, using Ondioline and Perrey's loops, they created two albums for Vanguard — The In Sound From Way Out (1966) and Kaleidoscopic Vibrations (1967). Perrey and Kingsley collaborated on sound design for radio and television advertising. Perrey returned to France, composing for television, scoring for ballet, and continuing medical research into therapeutic sounds for insomniacs.

Perrey's return from obscurity began in 1997, when he started recording in Bordeaux, France, with David Chazam. Their album Eclektronics was first released on vinyl in France only, in 1998. A CD version of the album was released in the Netherlands on the BASTA label, with several additional tracks added. In 2000 his collaborative CD with Gilbert Sigrist was released. "Circus of Life" was first released as a "library" recording, for TV and radio (France only), then released on Perrey's own PHMP label. 2006 saw the release of the album The Happy Electropop Music Machine on Oglio Records, of Los Angeles, California. The album was a collaboration with musician/arranger Dana Countryman. The two toured the West Coast of America to promote the album. Also in 2006, Perrey began collaborating with producer Luke Vibert for a CD on England's Lo Records: Moog Acid. The result is a blend of retro and modern analogue house synth-pop, encapsulating many genres and the two respective styles of the artists. The CD was released in 2007.[2] Perrey's release Destination Space is also a collaboration with Dana Countryman. The duo performed concerts in New York City and Montreal in October 2008 to promote its release. The album is notable for Perrey's being almost 80 years old when it was released.

He died at the age of 87 on 4 November 2016 from complications of lung cancer.[3][4]

Influence

In the 1970s, Walt Disney Productions chose this tune to be the theme for the Electrical Parade. It was extraordinary, I didn't know about it because the publishers said nothing to me. It was by chance, in 1980, that I went there and was so surprised to hear Baroque Hoedown arranged for a full orchestra.
— Jean-Jacques Perrey, text from English subtitle[7]
The 1970 release Moog Indigo generated several notable singles.

Discography

As Perrey and Kingsley

As Jean-Jacques Perrey

References

  1. ↑ Perrey & Kingsley at Discogs. Retrieved on November 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ John Bush. "Moog Acid review". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation.
  3. ↑ Co-composer of Disney's Electrical Parade music dies. Retrieved on November 5, 2016.
  4. ↑ Brown, Tracy (November 7, 2016). "Electronic music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey, of Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade fame, dies at 87". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  5. ↑ "New Complaints". Courthouse News Service. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  6. ↑ "Jean-Jacques Perrey et al v. Televisa S.A. de C.V. et al, No. 2:2009cv06508 - Document 43 (C.D. Cal. 2009)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  7. ↑ Perrey (2005). Explore the Magic (From One Lightbulb To Another bonus documentary) (DVD). Disneyland Resort Paris.
  8. ↑ Rainbow Bunchie fan website
  9. ↑ David Lewandowski. "going to the store". youtube.com.
  10. ↑ David Lewandowski. "late for meeting". youtube.com.
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