Nothing truly announces that it’s spooky season quite like new Perturbator music. The ominous vibes and driving synths would be the perfect soundtrack to any Halloween party. On Age of Aquarius , the latest album from the act, which is the stage name for Paris based producer James Kent, offers up a more propulsive spin on his moody early work. Diving into the more introspective side of things, the video for single “Lady Moon” brings the action to life with Greta Link’s haunting vocals and animation from artist Victorien Aubineau that will be sure to please fans of some of anime’s most iconic films. I spoke with Kent and Aubineau to learn more about the anime guiding lights for the video for “Lady Moon,” the joy in having Age of Aquarius out in the world, and where anime fits into Kent’s artistic consumption. Your new album, Age of Aquarius , is finally out! Can you tell me a bit about the writing and recording process for it? KENT : Yes. It's been a complicated ride, but most definitely my proudest achievement so far. All in all, the recording and writing process has been similar to my previous records. The toughest part was mostly to let go and let the writing speak for itself rather than to force it. RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: CHASE ATLANTIC Share "FACEDOWN" Video and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Obsession What was the creative inspiration behind your newest music video for “Lady Moon?” Can definitely feel some Ghost in the Shell / Akira vibes! KENT : There definitely are a lot of influences from Akira and Ghost in the Shell . Some Blade Runner too. The idea was to portray how the idea of individualism can lift upward and reveal ingenuity as much as it has the power to drag downwards and exacerbate the narcissism and god complex in some people. Questioning our nature — the nature of mankind — has been the core of many great science fiction tales. As present in Akira and Ghost in the Shell . So we naturally made nods and references to these works. AUBINEAU : Absolutely. This project was a perfect opportunity to celebrate the shared references between our two worlds, and it's clear that films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell are integral parts of that. There's also evident inspiration from Blade Runner , Appleseed XIII , Fist of the North Star , and many others… Was anime on or around while you were working on the album? KENT : Not particularly. I focus mostly on music and themes I want to convey, and visual media has become less and less influential to my music. AUBINEAU : I never actually work while watching anime simultaneously. However, I definitely conduct extensive visual research — looking for specific shots, designs, and color palettes — within various animated works. Let’s take it back to the beginning. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? KENT : I'm a bit of an old school person when it comes to Japanimation. Obviously the aforementioned Akira and the two Ghost in the Shell movies were long time favorites and then got me into other ‘80s and ‘90s classics like Jin Roh , Perfect Blue , Memories , Neo Tokyo , Goku Midnight Eye , Wicked City , Demon City Shinjuku , Blood: The Last Vampire and the Cowboy Bebop series and movie. I am very behind on modern stuff though. AUBINEAU : Since I was a kid, I absolutely loved watching anime series on TV, like Captain Harlock (Albator) , Gundam Wing , Dragon Ball Z , and Cowboy Bebop which aired in France. I later discovered the more mature films by Masamune Shirow, Katsuhiro Otomo, Satoshi Kon, and Hayao Miyazaki… some of those works were truly eye-opening revelations for me. RELATED: Fish Narc's Ben Funkhouser: I Can't Conceive of My Art Without Anime Did you get into music around the same time as you got into anime? Were they separate interests for you or does one inform the other? KENT : I've always seen them as separate. I got into music way younger through metal and new wave and soundtracks. You could say my parents were a little irresponsible since they'd let me watch a lot of horror movies at a very young age, you know — like Evil Dead , The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , etc… It was later on around my early teens that a friend of mine showed me some of the more brutal and over the top scenes from Hokuto No Ken , which was the gateway that led me to watch violent anime like the aforementioned ones above. As I grew older and a little less juvenile I started to understand and appreciate the deeper — even at times philosophical — themes in many of them. What do you think it is about your style of music, and heavy music in general, that draws anime fans to it? KENT : To be completely honest with you, I do not know. I believe that fans of my music, for example, do see the nods and references I make towards some of anime’s most famous works, but beyond that I can't really tell where the link is. Did any anime openings, endings, or OSTs have a lasting impact on you or change your approach to songwriting? KENT : Kenji Kawai's Ghost in the Shell iconic soundtrack is the only thing that comes to mind. The title track is quite legendary and has always evoked images of sprawling cities inside of which humanity struggles to be seen and where loneliness becomes a bigger problem day by day. AUBINEAU : Personally, I really enjoy listening to anime openings. Some are incredibly fast-paced and rhythmic, which is very inspiring for creating powerful and strong scenes in the visual execution of my directorial work. RELATED: BABYMETAL on the Success of METAL FORTH and the One-Punch Man Season 3 Opening Is anime something you talk about with other musicians? Since you’re so close with HEALTH it seems like anime is something you and Johnny might discuss! KENT : Oh yeah — I know that Johnny's really big on Evangelion which I also really enjoy myself. But for some reason we very rarely speak about anime. I am way less knowledgeable on the subject than he is, like I said. And we mostly talk and debate about music whenever we hang around.
