Derek Piotr
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Derek Piotr is a folklorist, vocalist, and composer.[1][2]
Derek Piotr | |
|---|---|
 Derek Piotr taking fieldnotes while recording a traditional singer. | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Folk Experimental Electronica Electroacoustic Glitch |
| Occupations | Folklorist, vocalist, composer |
| Instruments | Vocals, electronics |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | LINE Imprint Trente Oiseaux MonotypeRecords DPSR important drone records |
| Website | www |
Career
Piotr released the album Agora in 2011.[3] In 2012 his work was nominated for Prix Ars Electronica.[4]
In 2016, Piotr released the glitch album Drono.[5][6] Forest People Pop was released in 2017.[7][8]
His 2018 album Grunt was completed in collaboration with Kevin Drumm.[9] "Grunt" is the Polish word for "earth" or "dirt".[10] The album received mostly positive reviews,[11] with PopMatters describing the material as being "equipped with all of the hypnotic powers of its contemporaries"[12] and Cyclic Defrost calling it "intricately constructed and frequently jarring".[13]
He released the remix EPs Earth Edit and Underlined in 2018,[10][14] followed by Repeating Bloom in January 2019.[15] He released the album Avia in July 2019.[16]
At the end of 2019, Piotr began researching Appalachian folk music for a new solo album.[17] Through these folklore studies he discovered singer Lena Bare Turbyfill, whose last living daughter he tracked down and recorded in July 2020.[18]
He released his first folk single "Invisible Map" on January 1, 2021.[19] "Invisible Map"'s B-side is a rendition of the folk tune "Barbry Allen".[20] In 2021, Piotr released Making and Then Unmaking, his tenth studio album, which was heavily influenced by his time spent in Appalachia.[21][22]
Personal life
Piotr sang in John Read Middle School’s choir and studied music theory and music appreciation at Joel Barlow High School.[23] Growing up in the woods of Redding, Connecticut, Piotr is a longtime outdoor enthusiast and draws inspiration from nature.[24][25]
Piotr is openly queer, stating, "I don’t want to rest on the privilege of assumption that I am a straight white male. I want to be truthful to where I’m coming from so I don’t get a free pass."[26]