Line #43 Music/Perturbator


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pertt.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: ''Humans are such easy prey.'']]
3
4	->These bodies are so weak
5	-> But so soft and assuring
6	->So brazen when they speak
7	->But I feel something stirring
8	-->-- Lyrics from ''Sentient''
9
10	Perturbator (born James Kent in UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} in 1993) is a UsefulNotes/{{synthwave}} musician and producer, [[SongAssociation best known]], much like the very similar French Synthwave musician [[Music/CarpenterBrut Carpenter Brut]], for his contributions to the ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'' and ''[[VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber Hotline Miami 2]]'' soundtracks.
11
12	Kent was guitarist in several black metal bands. He attributes his interest in music to his parents, who are rock music critics and former tech trance musicians themselves, leading also to a lifelong love of synthesisers. With that in mind, it's unsurprising that from` 2012 onwards, he moved to producing Synthwave under the StageName Perturbator, as well as the side project L'Enfant De La Forêt. Reflecting his black metal roots, his music has strong Satanic and horror roots; his music mixed with {{darkwave}} starting with ''New Model'', before adding a heavy dose of {{industrial}} and GothRock with ''Lustful Sacraments''.
13
14	He has his own label, 'Music of the Void'.
15
16	----
17	!!!Studio Discography:
18	* Terror 404 (May 2012 album, self-released; remaster released in March 2015 by Blood Music)
19	* Night Driving Avenger (March 2012 EP, self-released; remaster released in October 2015 by Blood Music)
20	* Nocturne City (August 2012 EP, Aphasia Records)
21	* The 80s Slasher (October 2012 EP, Collaboration with Protector 101, Aphasia Records)
22	* I Am the Night (December 2012 album, self-released; remaster released in March 2015 by Blood Music)
23	* LA Cop Duo / Selections (March 2013 EP, Collaboration with Protector 101, Revolving Door Records)
24	* Sexualizer (June 2013 EP, Aphasia Records)
25	* Dangerous Days (June 2014 album, Blood Music / Telefuture Records)
26	* The Uncanny Valley (May 2016 album, Blood Music)
27	** The Uncanny Valley – Bonus (May 2016 EP, Blood Music)
28	* New Model (September 2017 EP, Blood Music / Music of the Void)
29	* B-sides and Remixes, Vol. I (November 2018 compilation album, Blood Music)
30	* B-sides and Remixes, Vol. II (November 2018 compilation album, Blood Music)
31	* Excess EP (2021 EP, Blood Music)
32	* Lustful Sacraments (May 2021 album, Blood Music)
33
34	----
35	!!Perturbator provides examples of
36	* ActivationSequence: The villain of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video takes a ''long'' time to power up his laser beam to kill the protagonist. It costs him.
37	* AfterTheEnd: The apparent setting of the music video for ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next''.
38	* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: At the end of the ''Sentient'' music video, after being MindRaped and [[PlayingWithSyringes cut apart]] by the Benevolent Church, the female protagonist has transformed into an impassive robot with white GlowingEyes. It's suggested the other disturbing android members of the church were likely converted that way too.
39	* AndroidsArePeopleToo: The ''Sentient'' music video opens with the following faux police warning against robot slavery:
40	-> ''CAUTION: The holding and selling of Androids is strictly forbidden. Any violation is punishable by a term of imprisonment of between three and six years.''.
41	* AnimatedMusicVideo: The music video for his songs ''Sentient'' and ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next''.
42	* ArcSymbol: The Benevolent Church is represented by a [[ColorWash pink]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Lorraine Cross of Lorraine]].
43	* AtrociousArthropods: The villain of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video is a gigantic robot bug.
44	** However, clearly not everyone in the setting [[JustAMachine holds these views]], as noted below...
45	* BackFromTheDead: The protagonist of ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' is ResurrectedForAJob by a mysterious [[PantheraAwesome panther]] in order to kill the antagonist.
46	-> ''' Nocturne City Police Department'''
47	* BadassBiker: One of the two protagonists of the ''Sentient'' music video.
48	* BlackMagic: What the panther uses to bring her back.
49	* BondageIsBad: The masochistic lyrics of ''Sentient'' don't portray the temptation to let yourself be hurt sexually in a very good light, ''especially'' when paired with the [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil music video]].
50	* BoobsAndButtPose: The girl on the front cover of the ''Dangerous Days'' album.
51	* BoomerangBigot: The anti-AI Benevolent Church in the ''Sentient'' music video turns out to consist of a large number of creepy, [[TheFaceless faceless]] androids, lead by a [[NunsAreSpooky skeletal nun robot]].
52	* {{Brainwashing}}: The Benevolent Church use this in the ''Sentient'' music video, quickly turning the female protagonist from an apparently vengeful gun-toter to a [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie willing convert]]. This goes along with [[TheDarkSide the lyrics]].
53	* BrownNoteBeing: When the protagonist of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video takes off her sunglasses, her face transforms into a skull; seeing this is enough to completely and instantly obliterate the antagonist.
54	* {{Chiptune}}: On the Uncanny Valley Bonus EP, Perturbator released a chiptune cover of his earlier song ''Future Club''.
55	* CityNoir: Nocturne City.
56	* ColorWash: The ''Sentient'' video is heavily neon-pink tinted; even ''fire'' is pink.
57	* CoolShades: The mirrored wraparound sunglasses worn by the protagonist of ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next''
58	** Also worn by the non-biker protagonist of the ''Sentient'' music video; hers are a pair of round mirror shades, evoking [[Literature/{{Neuromancer}} Molly Millions]].
59	* CoolCar: The pink [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture DeLorean]] driven by the protagonist of ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next''.
60	* CoolSword: The [[DimensionalCutter katana]] wielded [[RuleOfThree by the protagonist of ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next''.]]
61	* CoolVsAwesome: The ''ridiculously'' over the top music video for ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next''.
62	--> '''Geek Remix''', ''commenting on the youtube video'': This is the most amazing music video I have ever seen in my life.
63	* CreepyCrosses: Overused to the point of self-parody.
64	* {{Cyborg}}: When the apparently human protagonist of ''Sentient'' is cut open with a scalpel by a [[SinisterMinister priest of the Benevolent Church]], the bloody wound reveals electronics underneath. She is also shown to have a human heart, and later shown with exposed wires coming out of her body during her MindRape.
65	* {{Cyberpunk}}: [[UsefulNotes/{{Synthwave}} Comes with the territory, really]].
66	* CyberpunkWithAChanceOfRain: In the ''Sentient'' music video.
67	* DimensionalCutter: The katana in the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video.
68	* DramaticDrop: The protagonist of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video drops and smashes her glasses to unveil her [[BrownNoteBeing final attack]].
69	* DrivingUpAWall: The protagonist of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video ascends the villain's tower this way.
70	* EvilGloating: The title of ''Humans Are Such Easy Prey'' evokes this.
71	* EvilTowerOfOminousness: The antagonist of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video lives at the top of a scifi skyscraper one of these.
72	* FanDisservice: The ''Sentient'' music video has completely uncensored onscreen sex. [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil By way of brainwashing]] [[ReligionOfEvil by an evil church]].
73	* ForbiddenFruit: The lyrics of ''Sentient'':
74	-->I feel it now\
75	Feel it now\
76	This [[BondageIsBad seductive pain]]\
77	I know it's wrong\
78	And the warning keeps flashing bright\
79	I don't know which pain to listen to\
80	Is it feeling or being right?
81	* FlayingAlive: And if that doesn't make it unsexy enough, it's followed by them ''[[{{Gorn}} ripping off her skin]]'' to expose her [[{{Cyborg}} robotic innards]].
82	* GlowingEyes: The villain of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video as it powers up its attack.
83	* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: The Nun in the ''Sentient'' music video.
84	* {{Gorn}}:
85	** A rotting rat, its innards being consumed by maggots, gets a long, loving shot in the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' video.
86	** In the video for ''Sentient'', a SinisterMinister of the Benevolent Church cuts open the protagonist's stomach with a scalpel and begins to [[FlayingAlive tear off her skin]] in graphic, bloody detail.
87	*** Worth pointing out that the [[{{Retraux}} pixel art style]] and ColorWash make these significantly less graphic than they might otherwise be; likely a deliberate homage to clever use of censorship in older movies.
88	* HoverBike: The protagonist of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video uses one of these to get the top of said tower; it emerges from her [[StuffBlowingUp exploding car]].
89	* InTheHood: The habit of the Nun leading the Benevolent Church in the ''Sentient'' music video is designed to evoke this; underneath, she has a skull for a face, suggesting TheGrimReaper.
90	* JustAMachine: The music video for ''Sentient'' revolves around a society where robots are heavily oppressed. As noted above, there has to be a ''specific law'' against [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil the enslavement of androids]], ads saying 'DON'T TRUST A ROBOT' are seen flashing on [=TVs=], and robots are seen being the victims of hate crimes: two apparent robot sex workers are seen stood at a police tape corden, presumably observing the murder scene of [[DisposableSexWorker one of their colleagues]], and a member of the [[ReligionOfEvil Benevolent Church]] is seen burning android corpses on a bonfire.
91	* KatanasAreJustBetter: The weapon wielded by the protagonist in the music video for ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'', [[DimensionalCutter used to open a portal to another dimension]].
92	* MagicalStarSymbols: Pentagrams are all over his work; unsurprising given his BlackMetal roots.
93	* MechaMooks: The implied EvilOverlord in the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video is a robot bug with zombified cyborg henchmen.
94	* MindControlDevice: A shop clerk in the ''Sentient'' music video is seen wearing a VR visor that blares Benevolent Church propaganda directly into his eyes.
95	* MindRape: What the Benevolent Church does to the protagonist of the ''Sentient'' music video
96	* NightOfTheLivingMooks: The apparent henchmen of the villain of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video seen swarming around its tower are skeletal robot punk zombies.
97	* NunsAreSpooky: The leader of the Benevolent Church in the ''Sentient'' music video is an apparently robotic nun who has the face of a skull underneath her habit.
98	* OminousVisualGlitch: Used in the ''Sentient'' music video.
99	* PantheraAwesome: A mysterious black panther who is apparently also a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot cyborg warlock]] reanimates the long-dead protagonist of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' and sends her to kill the protagonist, opening her portal by tearing open his face.
100	* PlayingWithSyringes: The Benevolent Church graphically dissects the female protagonist of the ''Sentient'' music video.
101	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: The Benevolent Church has a gang orgy with the female protagonist in the ''Sentient'' music video; [[{{Brainwashing}} given the circumstances]], it can't really be called consensual.
102	* ReligionOfEvil: The 'Benevolent Church'.
103	* {{Retraux}}: The music videos for ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' and ''Sentient'' are both done in ''[[SugarWiki/AwesomeArt beautiful]]'' pixel art.
104	* RuleOfCool: Are his music videos ridiculous? Yes. Are they also ''awesome''? Also yes.
105	* {{Sampling}}: 'Humans Are Such Easy Prey' opens with a spoken word sample from ''Film/TheTerminator'':
106	--> '''Kyle Reese''': It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!
107	** 'Technoir' also samples the same movie, and in fact takes its name from it:
108	--> '''Sarah Connor''': Ginger, this is Sarah. Pick up if you're there. I'm at this place on Pico Boulevard called [[TitleDrop Tech Noir]].
109	* SandWorm: One of these can be seen lying dead in the harbour in the background of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' video.
110	* SaveThePrincess: The core plot of the ''Sentient'' music video is the attempt by the biker protagonist to rescue the female protagonist from the [[ReligionOfEvil Benevolent Church]]. [[DownerEnding They]] [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie fail]].
111	* SceneryGorn: We get an lengthy, detailed look at the post-apocalyptic landscape of the setting of the ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video.
112	* ScifiBobHaircut: The female protagonists of the ''Sentient'' and ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music videos both have these.
113	* SexyPackaging: The album cover of ''Dangerous Days'' has a beautiful naked woman on it in a BoobsAndButtPose.
114	* SigilSpam: The symbol of the Benevolent Church is ''everywhere'' in the ''Sentient'' music video.
115	* StuffBlowingUp: The ''She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next'' music video features a [[RuleOfCool hot pink car that explodes to reveal a hover bike.]]
116	* UncannyValley: Provides the title of his fourth album.
117	* VillainousFaceHold: The Nun does this to the female protagonist in the ''Sentient'' music video.

Context Music / Perturbator