Perry Farrell Biography

Perry Farrell can now add DJ to his list of musical accomplishments.

Courtesy of Virgin Records.

Courtesy of Virgin Records.

From Mic to Turntables

Perry Farrell is no newbie to the music scene. He fronted the alternative rock group Jane's Addiction, was the mastermind behind the famous Lollapalooza festival, fronted another band, Porno for Pyros and has become a great solo artist. What's next? Scratching records, of course.

Although he's best known for his Jane's Addiction hits like Been Caught Stealing, Stop and Jane Says, for the last three years Perry Farrell has been DJ'ing. Mixing records, especially drum 'n bass, is more of a hobby and a passion for the singer but he is making the club rounds. When DJ'ing he goes by the name of DJ Peretz and in July of 2001 he played a packed gig at the Fez Batik club in Toronto, Canada.

According to Perry, DJ'ing is different from being in a band because it's "Therapy on a musical sense - it's weaving tapestry, but astral tapestry, and it gives me a sense of balance because you're making use of the left and right sides (of your brain.) It's very analytical and at the same time artistic." Some people get up in the morning and go work out but Perry gets up in the morning and starts his day spinning records. He relates mixing to real life and says, "You're doing the same thing with people, you're cross-fading people and relationships."

It's no surprise he is involved in the mixing scene. On his 1999 album, Rev there were a couple of songs that touched on an electronica vibe. And having an extensive background in various areas of the music industry it seems like DJ'ing is a great direction to take.

He has a new solo album out July 31, 2001 titled Song Yet To Be Sung. The CD is his first album of new material in five years. Although it's not a DJ mix album - it blends electronica, rock, tribal and dub music with Perry's unique vocals. Besides singing on the album he also played the guitar and harp on parts of the album and played a part in the drum and keyboard programming. With any luck this DJ'ing chameleon will hit the road for a tour in support of Song Yet To Be Sung.