Sam Perry is a one-man orchestra, using only his own voice, a loop station, an effect pedal and microphone to create a live solo-voiced harmony in his Fringe performance Sam Perry Live.

Dubbed vocal looping, this fresh new art form is quite new in Australia though Sam demonstrates throughout his show its amazing potential as a style of music. Accompanied by an entrancing baseline, the Perth born artist records sounds on the microphone and then puts them on an endless loop. Slowly but surely, as each layer is added, a song begins to be uncovered and with that the audience is hooked.

Sam has had a lot of exposure to different styles of music in his background. Beginning with his theatrical roots as a child, performing in musicals from an early age. From there, his musical inspiration went through several genres, from rock to hip hop to jazz and figured out a way to put their unique sounds together to make a family friendly track that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Sam’s performance shows that almost anything can begin a new track, recording an explanation of how he makes his music on his microphone and then looping it setting the beat of the entire song. The audience is launched into it without any warning, keeping a constant momentum of anticipation for the duration of the show.

While some may raise concerns about the risks of making the music live on the spot, Sam’s unwavering concentration as his hands glide across his equipment while still engaging with his audience demonstrates a mastery of his craft.

“He’s what a DJ should be,” an audience member says to their friend as they sway along to the beat. Indeed, there is something enchanting yet constantly exciting about the music Sam can produce in the moment.

I went into Sam Perry’s show barely knowing more than his name and after 60 minutes, I’m a lifelong fan.

There are still two more chances to go and see Sam Perry Live, at 8:30pm on the 16th and 17th of March at The Gallery and at The Hindley, and with Sam coming up with new music on a regular basis, you’re guaranteed a brand-new performance each time you go to see him.

Words by Oliver Brown