Perfume Genius
| Perfume Genius | |
|---|---|
Hadreas performing in New York City in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mike Hadreas |
| Born | September 25, 1981 |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels |
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Perfume Genius is the stage name for Seattle-based solo artist Mike Hadreas. As of 2016, he has released three albums.
Hadreas is of Greek descent and was born in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington. Hadreas studied painting in school and took piano lessons as a child. His mother was a special education teacher, and his parents divorced when he was a teenager.
Growing up, Hadreas was the only openly gay student at his school, and he received death threats which were not addressed by the administration. He dropped out of high school during his senior year. Two years after dropping out, he was attacked by several young men in his neighborhood. He moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn and worked as a doorman for a club in the East Village. In 2005, Hadreas returned home to Seattle and began recording music. In 2008, Hadreas set up a MySpace page under the name Perfume Genius, and thus began his music career. Hadreas's music explores topics including sexuality, his personal struggle with Crohn's disease, domestic abuse, and the dangers faced by gay men in contemporary society.
Hadreas's debut album, Learning, was released on June 21, 2010, through Turnstile Records in Europe and Matador Records in the United States. Many of the tracks for Learning were recorded in Hadreas's home. The album quickly received critical acclaim. Pitchfork gave the album an 8.2
He performed his first live show at The Vera Project in Seattle, where he opened for A Sunny Day in Glasgow.
Hadreas's second album, Put Your Back N 2 It, was released on February 20, 2012. Again, Hadreas received praise from music critics and fans alike for the sonic intimacy his music achieved.
The promotional video for the album, featuring Hadreas and pornographic actor Arpad Miklos embracing each other, was deemed unsafe for family viewing by YouTube.
Hadreas was one of several Seattle-area artists and musicians featured in the exhibit "Mw [Moment Magnitude]" at the Frye Art Museum, October 13, 2012 – January 20, 2013. As part of the exhibit, he performed at the museum on October 27, 2012.
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