Palermo

Palermo is the electro-skewed alias of composer-producer Douglas Whates. Drawing from a diverse musical background spanning classical, electronic, and avant-garde genres, Whates creates intricate soundscapes that reflect the evolution of technology and the imperfections of memory. Operating in the gaps between ambient, IDM, post-rock, and sound art, Palermo toggles unabashedly between expansive, experimental compositions and rhythm-driven pieces that flirt with genres from 80s synth-pop to drill and bass.

Influenced by keystone cultural and musical elements—early computer games, hair metal, coming-of-age Hollywood films on degraded VHS tapes, and the transition from analogue to digital—Palermo's output distils these influences into a sound that is both intensely personal and enigmatically familiar, where glitches and artefacts become integral elements.