“Working with him would have been a dream. If I could go back in time, I know exactly how it would go”: Perturbator aka James Kent on why Vangelis’ music endures

James Kent aka Perturbator tells Prog how he discovered Vangelis through his pioneering movie soundtracks – and how the late composer’s music continues to inspire him.

“The first time I heard Vangelis was on the Blade Runner soundtrack. I remember scanning the credits to see who composed that incredible score. When I saw his name I was like, ‘Who is this – is it a band? Is it just one guy?’

That soundtrack is absolutely amazing. It’s still one of my favourite works by anyone – it’s in my top three at least. From there, I started to dig into his work and found all of his film soundtracks, and then the synth albums and the prog stuff.

There’s a lot of stuff to go through, and I don’t love all of it, but the pieces I do love, I love deeply. That exploration led me to Aphrodite’s Child and 666, which has become probably my favourite album of all time. The guy is fucking great!

What makes Vangelis so distinct is his sound. He leaned heavily on the Yamaha CS-80 synthesiser, coaxing out this expressive, almost trumpet-like tone drenched in reverb.

Where other players like Jan Hammer went for straightforward leads, Vangelis created something lush, soaring, and atmospheric. That’s something I’ve always loved. It never feels cheesy and that’s why it’s stuck with me. I’ve even used that sound in my own music.

Back in the day I’d try to replicate his sounds, but without the proper equipment it’s pretty much impossible; I’m still intrigued as to how he does it.

Trying to emulate those sounds led to me composing music like that – but importantly it led to me making music on my own that was as atmospheric as his. Over time I’ve absorbed other elements of his style into my productions.

Like Vangelis, I’d love to score a film. In truth, a lot of my music already comes from a soundtrack mindset. It makes sense that so many synth musicians turn to cinema – Goblin with Dario Argento, John Carpenter scoring his own films. I’m drawn to that world because mood and atmosphere drive me, both as a listener and a creator.

Working with Vangelis would have been a dream. If I could go back in time, I know exactly how it would go – he’d lead, and I’d happily follow.”