Perturbator

The main project of French musician James Kent, Perturbator is regarded as one of the leading acts of the synthwave scene that became popular during the 2010s. He rose to prominence near the beginning of the decade, with several releases that combined driving synths with dark, neon-streaked imagery equally inspired by vintage cyberpunk, horror, and sleaze. His profile was boosted when several of his songs were included in the Hotline Miami video games, and his ambitious 2016 concept album The Uncanny Valley ranked high in Billboard's Heatseekers Top Dance/Electronic Albums charts. He shifted his sound in a more atmospheric, darkwave-influenced direction with his next full-length, 2021's Lustful Sacraments, and leaned into industrial and metal textures on 2025's immersive Age of Aquarius.