Under the moniker D.D Dumbo, Oliver Hugh Perry crafts blues-based songs that have an experimental-pop air to them. The young Australian artist started the project about two years ago, and like a lot of musicians these days, he skipped the “form a band” stage and started making music by himself. With just a looping pedal, 12-string guitar, and a few drums, he can create hypnotic grooves that especially excel in the live setting. During SXSW 2014, NPR filmed Perry in an Austin alley as he worked his musical magic.
Unsurprisingly, Perry has recently taken his project on the road opening for tUnE-yArDs, another artist that gleefully blends genres together. On his debut EP D.D Dumbo, you can find traces of West African rhythms and delta blues intersecting in interesting ways. “Tropical Oceans” only has a few ingredients, but Perry turns them into a full-blown orchestra of sound.
