Polmo Polpo is the ambient electronic solo project of Sandro Perri, who has just returned from a European tour and will play a series of Toronto shows throughout the remainder of the summer. Matt Blair spoke with Perri via email.

Two Wavelength performances in one month, huh? How do you do it?

The answer to that question can be found on Bob Wiseman's first Blocks CD, Track No. 5.

Why should people check out Polmo Polpo in addition to your other projects? What distinguishes the work of Polmo Polpo from that of your collaborative projects?

I think of it as process music mostly, which relies on the strength of a good sound system more than a lot of music does. The best Polmo Polpo shows for me have been when you could almost bathe in the low end, not be steamrolled, but have it cover your body like some kind of massage. Then I can really push what I like to push, the very physical quality of the sound. It can feel really good, be extremely visceral, and that's where any potential excitement lies for me. The records have a life of their own and can work in other contexts. Every other project I might be involved in, whether it's singing or whatever, tends to work in a small room just as well, and maybe even better sometimes. It's why I like singing songs at the Tranzac so much. As far as a live show goes, that's maybe the main distinguishing factor.

Back in April of 2001, when making a much earlier Wavelength appearance, you said that "The only kind of commitment I want my music to have is to itself." How has your philosophy or your approach changed over the course of the past five years? Would you say that your music has been faithful to itself?

A little overly simplistic perhaps. It may be true, it may not be. There are plenty of non-musical reasons for making a commitment, but if we do suppose that it was a goal of mine, I would have to say that I've failed and that the music has not been a hundred percent faithful to itself. At various times, it has flirted with audience's reactions, their expectations (perceived or otherwise), my own state of mind, my own expectations, time constraints, performance fees, bouts of laziness, etc., etc.

What I said back then seems to imply the idea that I could make a record, put it out, play shows, and then remain untouched by all the factors that come into play once that wheel is set in motion. It's kind of naïve, isn't it? I learned how impossible that was on my first tour. Of course the easiest way to avoid that inevitability is to squash yourself before it happens to you. Then you don't have to deal with it. I can name five people I know right off the top of my head who do that to themselves. I do that sometimes too, but I don't want to.

In your early days, you released your own 12" singles independently through your Audi Sensa label, but you've since gone on to work with a wide range of outside labels. What are the pros and cons of releasing your own music versus working with another company? Who are you working with these days?

It was very important for me to start out doing it on my own. And who doesn't love silkscreening? It was crucial in establishing some bedrock of dignity when the idea of asking record labels to listen was not one I could stomach. I tried that once and almost immediately felt like it was a waste of time. I think it's a good thing to bust your ass and lose some money when you're starting out.

Now I know that releasing my own records myself is not something I could do successfully. For one, there is the conflict of interest that arises when you're working with distributors, press, and all that kind of thing. It gets more complex when you start to become your own press release writer, which is an inevitable part of having a record label, even though I managed to avoid it for the most part by being very, very lucky. Also, you have to be organized, and I am not so when it comes to money, so the label was on shaky ground from the beginning. I think of those records now as one long series of greeting cards. Without them, I probably never would have met the folks at Alien8, Constellation, Intr_version, Kompakt, the people here in Toronto who have helped me with shows and been super supportive, the promoters overseas, etc.

You've recently started writing and performing more lyrically-driven music under your own name. Have you found that this music tends to be more personal than the instrumental music that you've been producing under other monikers?

Not really. It's all personal and public at the same time.

You've just returned from Europe, and you've got several Toronto dates lined up within the next couple of months. Are you looking forward to keeping things local for a while?

I am looking forward to that. I love this city very much, even after travelling. I'm looking forward to playing with the Saws. I have a record coming out in September and another one to finish up around that time, and some shows over the next two months. There is another fun show going on at the end of September, curated by Marcus Boon and Christie Pearson, where a bunch of people will play overnight in the Trinity Bellwoods Swimming Pool, while the pool is open to the public. We're gonna use hydrophones and underwater speakers for it.

by Matt Blair