Austin Peralta

Austin Peralta was born on October 25, 1990, to filmmaker Joni Caldwell{{cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-life-and-death-of-austin-peralta-4170627|title=The Life and Death of Austin Peralta|date=January 15, 2013|work=LA Weekly|last1=McDermott|first1=Marc|access-date=October 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203043652/https://www.laweekly.com/music/the-life-and-death-of-austin-peralta-4170627|archive-date=February 3, 2015}} and Z-Boys skateboarder and film director Stacy Peralta.{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/04/live-jazz-review-austin-peralta-trio-at-lot1-cafe.html|title=Jazz review: Austin Peralta Trio at Lot 1 Cafe|last=Barton|first=Chris|date=April 1, 2011|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=June 24, 2011}} Peralta started playing piano at the age of five and was soon recognized as a prodigy.{{cite web|title=Austin Peralta|url=https://ninjatune.net/artist/austin-peralta|website=Ninja Tune|accessdate=May 28, 2016}}{{cite web|title=Biography|url=https://austinperalta.wordpress.com/about/|website=Austin Peralta|date=March 13, 2010|accessdate=May 28, 2016}} At age 10 while learning classical piano, he developed an interest in jazz when a friend gave him a Bill Evans CD.{{cite web|title=Austin Peralta: Go Through the Darkness|url=http://larecord.com/interviews/2011/03/15/austin-peralta-go-through-the-darkness|website=L.A. Record|accessdate=May 28, 2016|date=March 15, 2011}} In 2003 at age 12, Peralta was awarded the Shelly Manne New Talent Award by the Los Angeles Jazz Society, which was presented to him by Quincy Jones.{{cite web|title =Austin Peralta: Biography |first=Matt|last=Collar |publisher=Allmusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=austin-peralta-p876827|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate =June 24, 2011}} In addition to the piano, Peralta also played the upright bass, drums and saxophone.{{cite web|title=Tokyo Jazz 2006 – Performing Artists|url=http://www.tokyo-jazz.com/2006/en/artists/index.html|website=Tokyo Jazz Festival 2006|accessdate=May 28, 2016|date=2006}}{{Cite web|url=http://larecord.com/interviews/2011/03/15/austin-peralta-go-through-the-darkness|title = Austin Peralta: Go Through the Darkness}} He was an honor student at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica.{{cite news|title=Prodigy, 13, to perform at KCLU anniversary event|url=http://www.theacorn.com/news/2004-08-26/On_The_Town/057.html|accessdate=May 28, 2016|work=The Acorn|date=August 26, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805033858/http://www.theacorn.com/news/2004-08-26/On_The_Town/057.html|archive-date=August 5, 2016|url-status=dead}} Peralta studied classical piano for five years at Pepperdine University{{cite web|title=Austin Peralta|url=http://www.javajazzfestival.com/2007/artists_archieve.php?action=detail&nid=549|website=Java Jazz Festival|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927143100/http://www.javajazzfestival.com/2007/artists_archieve.php?action=detail&nid=549|archive-date=September 27, 2007}} and later with jazz pianist Alan Pasqua and saxophonist Buddy Collette.

At a young age Peralta performed in Los Angeles with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra at venues such as the Jazz Bakery and the Blue Whale jazz club.{{cite web|author1=Theis Duelund |title=The Blue Whale May Be L.A.'s Smoothest Jazz Joint |url=http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/the-blue-whale-may-be-las-smoothest-jazz-joint/|website=Los Angeles Magazine |accessdate=May 28, 2016|date=April 30, 2014}} At age 15, he performed at the 2006 Tokyo Jazz Festival with his group, The Hour Trio, and with Chick Corea and Hank Jones. He has also had multiple performances at the California Institute of the Arts; the first being a collaboration with David Wexler (aka Dr. Strangeloop) in the summer of 2010, and the second as the Austin Peralta Group in 2012.

In 2006, he released two albums: Maiden Voyage with bassist Ron Carter and Mantra with bassist Buster Williams. In 2007, he performed at the Java Jazz Festival.

In 2011, Peralta met Steven Ellison (a.k.a. Flying Lotus) through mutual friend David Wexler. Peralta joined Ellison's Brainfeeder label, which released his final album, Endless Planets. Ellison considered Peralta's addition to the label a turning point in the label's expansion of genres and movement towards jazz.{{cite web |author1=Laurent Fintoni |title=How Flying Lotus Built Brainfeeder, His Spiritual Little Empire |url=http://www.thefader.com/2015/08/26/brainfeeder-flying-lotus-label-interview |website=Fader |accessdate=May 28, 2016 |date=August 26, 2012 }}{{cite web |author1=Natalie Weiner|title=Way Out West: How Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington and Brainfeeder are bringing jazz back to the people |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/brainfeeder-jazz-flying-lotus-kamasi-washington-thundercat/ |website=Noisey |publisher=VICE |access-date=May 28, 2016 |date=July 29, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802163838/http://noisey.vice.com/blog/brainfeeder-jazz-flying-lotus-kamasi-washington-thundercat|archive-date=August 2, 2015}} Peralta said that he did not promote his first two albums because the producer did not allow him to express his artistic vision. Under the Brainfeeder record label, however, he was free to defy conventional genres and express spirituality through his music.

Peralta composed and performed the score for the remastered documentary What Happened to Kerouac? (2012) and appeared on the track "DMT Song" on the album Until the Quiet Comes (2012). Peralta was a touring member of jazz group The Cinematic Orchestra and performed regularly with Allan Holdsworth and Virgil Donati.

Peralta was a regular collaborator with Flying Lotus and Thundercat and made recordings with Teebs, Strangeloop, and Erykah Badu.{{cite web|author1=Laura Snapes|title=R.I.P. Brainfeeder Affiliate and Pianist, Austin Peralta |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/48682-rip-brainfeeder-affiliate-and-pianist-austin-peralta/ |website=Pitchfork|accessdate=May 28, 2016|date=November 22, 2012}}

Peralta was interviewed in the documentary film Being in the World by Tao Ruspoli, which includes a brief performance interlude in support of the interview (available in full on YouTube).

Peralta died on November 21, 2012, at the age of 22. The LA County Coroner's Report indicated the most likely cause of death was viral pneumonia aggravated by a combination of alcohol and drugs.{{cite web |last1=Meek |first1=Tom |title=Austin Peralta Died From Pneumonia Combined With Drugs and Alcohol, Says Coroner |url=https://www.laweekly.com/austin-peralta-died-from-pneumonia-combined-with-drugs-and-alcohol-says-coroner/ |website=LA Weekly |accessdate=June 23, 2020 |date=March 27, 2013}}

The ensemble name Deathgasm is an inspiration from the Bardo Thodol (the so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead) and the Gaspar Noé film Enter the Void. Peralta felt that his music had the power to evoke spiritual places similar to death, orgasm, love, or "whatever". So he decided to name his ensemble Deathgasm.

;Personnel

• Austin Peralta – leader
• Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – violin, viola
• Sam Gendel – saxophone
• Ryan McGillicuddy – bass
• Zach Harmon – drums, tabla
• Ian Simon (Earnest Blount) – electronics, laptop
• Ben Olsen – video/photography

Peralta and Strangeloop (another Brainfeeder artist) met at a coffee shop when Strangeloop ranted to him about the apocalypse. Peralta found him like-minded and ended up connecting, becoming best friends. Strangeloop's music is more electronic and Peralta wanted to introduce that world into his acoustic style of music. Peralta felt that something was missing in his Endless Planet's project that was in the works and decided to tie Strangeloop's work into his. They performed live together at the Roy O. Disney Theatre on July 7, 2010, and numerous other occasions.

• Maiden Voyage (Eighty-Eight's) (2005)
• Mantra (Eighty-Eight's) (2006)
• Endless Planets (Brainfeeder) (2011)

Singles

• Views of Saturn Vol. 2 (2012)

with The Hour Trio

• Inta' Out (2005)

Guest appearances

• Thundercat - Apocalypse (Ten Year Anniversary 'Memento Mori' Edition) (2024)
• Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Les Jardins Mystiques, Vol. 1 (Brainfeeder, 2023){{Cite web |date=2023-09-13 |title=Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Announces Debut Solo Album Les Jardins Mystiques Vol. 1 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/miguel-atwood-ferguson-announces-debut-solo-album-les-jardins-mystiques-vol-1/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
• Pan African Peoples Arkestra – 60 Years (2023)
• John Carter Egizi - 'Jazz Prodigies' (2021)
• Shafiq Husayn - 'The Loop' (2019)
• Various Artists - 'Brainfeeder X' (2018)
• Natasha Agrama - 'The Heart of Infinite Change' (2017)
• Bunny Brunel – 'Invent Your Future' (2015)
• Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - 'Unreleased Vol. 2' (2014)
• Natasha Agrama - 'The Brave One' (2014)
• Grey Reverend - 'A Hero's Lie' (2013){{Cite web|url=https://ninjatune.net/release/grey-reverend/a-heros-lie|title = A Hero's Lie by Grey Reverend}}
• Octavious Womack – 'Superstar' (2012)
• Franky Rousseau Large Band - 'Hope' (2012)
• Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes (2012)
• Teebs - Collections 01 (2011)
• Thundercat - The Golden Age of Apocalypse (2011)
• Strangeloop - "Fields" (2011)
• Erykah Badu - "New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh" (2010)
• Shafiq Husayn - "En' A-Free-Ka" (2009)
• Tim Ries - "Stones World: The Rolling Stones Project II" (2007)
• Adam Rudolph & Go: Organic Orchestra - "Thought Forms" (2006)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://austinperalta.wordpress.com/ Official site]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927143100/http://www.javajazzfestival.com/2007/artists_archieve.php?action=detail&nid=549 Java Jazz Festival 2007 profile]

{{Authority control}}

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Category:1990 births

Category:2012 deaths

Category:21st-century American pianists

Category:American child musicians

Category:American jazz pianists

Category:American male jazz pianists

Category:American musicians of Mexican descent

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:Crossroads School alumni

Category:Deaths from pneumonia in California

Category:Alcohol-related deaths in California

Category:Drug-related deaths in California

Category:Jazz musicians from California

Category:Pepperdine University alumni

Category:21st-century American male musicians