Philip Perkins
Philip Perkins is an American sound designer, musician, animator and lighting designer. From 1973 to 2008 he was one half of The Bifurcators with Scott Fraser,[1] and has produced numerous films, albums and other recorded works since the late 1960s.[2]
Perkins worked closely with The Residents between 1979 and 1984,[2] acting as their lightning designer and a member of their live performance ensemble on the Mole Show tour, as well as assisting the group with their sound engineering and the cinematography of their music videos.
History
Philip Perkins was born in 1951, and began recording and mixing sound works in the late 1960s.[2] He was mentored in sound production by avant-garde composer "Blue" Gene Tyranny, and studied motion graphics and animation at the University of Oregon.[1]
He began working with The Residents anonymously in 1979,[2] and was a member of their live performance ensemble until 1984.[1] Perkins first solo LP Neighborhood With A Sky (Bird Variations) was released in 1982, followng a self released cassette titled Apartment Life.[2]
Perkins is known to have contributed "special effects" to The Tunes of Two Cities in 1982, and assisted with engineering on Stars & Hank Forever! in 1985.[2] He contributed to the live-in-studio recordings collected on the 1984 album Assorted Secrets, and was one quarter of the group's live performance ensemble for their debut 1982-1983 tour The Mole Show.[3] He was credited as audio consultant on the Mole Show/Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? VHS released in 1984.
After Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? Perkins only occasionally collaborated with The Residents. He is credited as recording the live performance included on the 2015 Snakey Wake CD reissue. Perkins also acted as sound editor and re-recording engineer for the documentary film Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents that same year.
Credits on Residents projects
- The Tunes Of Two Cities (1982, Emulator samples)
- The Mole Show (1983, lighting designer)
- Stars & Hank Forever! (1986, location engineering)
- Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated Guide To The Residents (1993)
- The Snakey Wake (2015, live recording)
- Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents (2015, sound editor and re-recording engineer)
Selected Solo discography
- Neighborhood With A Sky (Bird Variations) (1982)
- King Of The World (1983)
- Drive Time (1985)
- Hall Of Flowers / The Flame Of Ambition (1987)
- Shapiro, Vermeer, Florida And San Francisco (1988)
- Choral Works & The Apsaras (2005)
- At The Other End Of The Day (Improvisations 2005-2008) (2009)
- Yeah Machine (2019)
External links and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Biography on Philip Perkins' official website
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Phillip Perkins Biography on Bay Improviser
- ↑ "During the period I was working on this music (1981 - 1983) I was also a member of what eventually became The Residents 'Mole Show' and 'Assorted Secrets' band." - Philip Perkins, King Of The World reissue liner notes, 2020