Perfumeman

A pre-music, post-something pop duo with questionable aesthetic sensibilities, Perfumeman gravitates towards the stage like a lunar moth to a lamp.

Perfumeman’s origin story is predictably dull. Morgan and Charles met over a game of Settlers of Catan last summer, and within a few days they were on the other side of the country together. Beginning with a simple acoustic set-up, they have since managed to add, subtract, add, and subtract increasingly convoluted hardware which allows them to create distinct and complicated noise.

Complex yet oddly accessible melodic vocals, sharp cello loops, driving bass beats, and the occasional scream punctuate Perfumeman’s music. They sing about love, exorcism, sexual domination, and not worrying. The layers of cello combined with Charles’ crooning voice give Perfumeman a deep texture like a dank echoing cavernous hole in the earth.

The band is currently working on their nine song cassette, I Want To Get To Know You. They exaggerate the fashionable lo-fi style, sacrificing sound quality. Morgan has stubbornly insisted that each cassette be recorded individually and direct-to-tape: “Each tape is a unique performance, for better or worse.” It’s a limited run of 50, and each case is hand-painted with a toothbrush. Perfumeman has also been recording a full-length, to be released at the end of the summer.

Perfumeman’s performance style varies depending on their members’ moods. Sometimes it’s loud and aggressively friendly; other times they play sheepishly in the corner of coffee shops. Either way, it’s guaranteed they’ll play “with all sorts of energy.” Perfumeman has recently shared bills with Delicate Steve, Watercolor Paintings, and Sarah Jaffe.

Charles grew up with no exposure to music other than his own. His head is swimming with melodies, and he uses musicians to express them. His indispensable creative strength is knowing when to have his band mates stop playing, whittling their parts down from the overcrowded song-sphere they start with. Charles is credited with singing vocals, playing percussion, and programming the outdated drum sequencer.

Morgan has a classical background and was raised on an overdose of 80s country music. She excels at connecting with the metronome, and can only really play a piece “once I know how it goes.” Morgan is credited with playing cello, singing vocals, hitting the snare drum, and controlling the loops.

So which one of them is Perfumeman? It’s hard to say. All we know for sure is that Perfumeman is a band, and he makes music.