Owen Pallett

Owen Pallett (born Michael James Owen Pallett-Plowright , September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their former pseudonym Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds. Pallett is also known for their contributions to Arcade Fire, having served as a string arranger and touring member of the band. In January 2014, Pallett and Arcade Fire member William Butler were nominated for Best Original Score at the 86th Academy Awards for their original score of the film Her.

From the age of 3, Pallett studied classical violin, and composed their first piece at age 13. A notable early composition includes some of the music for the game Traffic Department 2192; Pallett moved on to scoring films, to composing two operas while in university. Apart from the indie music scene, Pallett has had commissions from the Barbican, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada, Bang on a Can, Ecstatic Music Festival, the Vancouver CBC Orchestra, and Fine Young Classicals. They have been noted for their live performances, wherein Pallett plays the violin into a loop pedal; Pallett uses Max/MSP and SooperLooper to do multi-phonic looping, which sends their violin signal to amplifiers across the stage. who were their favourite band, along with Eurythmics. They have also identified albums by Tori Amos, The Strokes, Public Enemy and Brian Eno as influential. The name Final Fantasy, under which Pallett recorded prior to the release of Heartland, was a tribute to the well-known video game series, although Pallett said that it is not one of their top twenty favorite games.

Pallett's debut album, Has a Good Home, was released on February 12, 2005, by the Blocks Recording Club, a cooperative, Toronto-based record label of which Pallett is a founding member. An Arrow in the Side of Final Fantasy borrows the music from the Space Zone's final level in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. "Adventure.exe" from this album was used in a series of 2006 commercials by Orange in the United Kingdom. Pallett did not intend to sell the song for this purpose, but its use was authorized due to an alleged miscommunication with their record label, Tomlab. All of Pallett's income from this use is donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Pallett's second album, He Poos Clouds, was released in June 2006, though the video, directed by Jesse Ewles, was released on March 1, 2006. The album consists entirely of string quartet arrangements. Eight of the ten songs are about each of the schools of magic as described in the rules to the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The album was named winner of the 2006 Polaris Music Prize. Uncomfortable with receiving a prize sponsored by a mobile phone conglomerate, Pallett gave the money away to bands they liked who needed financial assistance.

In 2007, the song "This Is The Dream of Win & Regine" was used in a commercial for Wiener Stadtwerke without Pallett's permission. Instead of litigation, Pallett and their booking agent Susanne Herrndorf approached the company for sponsorship for a music festival of their curation. The resultant Maximum Black Festival featured Final Fantasy, The Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof, Frog Eyes, Max Tundra, Six Organs of Admittance and others. It played Vienna, Berlin and London.

In July 2007, Pallett was interviewed on the CBC Radio One program Q, about their upcoming album, to be titled Heartland, which was to have a theme of nothingness.

In October 2007, Final Fantasy released a vinyl 7" on Tomlab's Alphabet Single series (The Letter "X"). The two tracks on X, recorded in Montreal with Zach Condon of the band Beirut, predate the album He Poos Clouds. The tracks "Hey Dad" and "What Do You Think Will Happen Next?" are both played regularly at live shows. The song "Hey Dad" contains a melody borrowed from the Nintendo video game "Super Mario Bros. 3"; specifically it is the music from the "Coin Heaven" bonus/hidden stages. Also, the song is quite similar in melody, lyrics and tone to another of Pallett's songs, "→".

In March 2008, Owen Pallett, under the alias Final Fantasy, collaborated with Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste on a cover of Björk's "Possibly Maybe" as part of Stereogum's tribute to Björk's album Post. On their Final Fantasy releases, Pallett has collaborated with Leon Taheny, who is credited as drummer and engineer.

In late 2008, Pallett released two EPs. The first one, Spectrum, 14th Century, was a collaboration with Beirut. The second EP, Plays to Please, was a tribute to fellow Torontonian Alex Lukashevsky and his group Deep Dark United. On it, six Lukashevsky originals were reconfigured for a 35-piece big band, the Toronto-based St. Kitts Orchestra (which includes Drumheller's Nick Fraser, Paul Mathew of the Hidden Cameras, and a whistling Andrew Bird, among others).

In December 2009, Pallett began performing and recording under their own name. The album Heartland was released on Domino Records on January 12, 2010. It was mixed by New York producer Rusty Santos. Also Pallett played Primavera Sound Festival 2010. In August 2010, Pallett released a four track EP entitled A Swedish Love Story on September 28 via Domino. The tracks received substantial airplay on community radio. Following the release of Heartland, Pallett has toured with guitarist/percussionist Thomas Gill and more recently with Rob Gordon and Matt Smith, their former collaborators in Les Mouches.

On November 12, 2012, Pallett tweeted that they had been working on a new album called In Conflict. The album, their fourth full-length recording, was released May 27, 2014.

In live performances, Pallett plays the violin into a loop pedal. Pallett uses Max/MSP and SooperLooper to do multi-phonic looping, which sends their violin signal to amplifiers across the stage.

Other contributions

Pallett's previous projects included a now-defunct three-piece Toronto-based band, Les Mouches. Pallett also played fiddle for a short time with the Celtic rock band Enter the Haggis. Pallett was once the violinist of another Toronto band called Picastro, and briefly played keyboard in SS Cardiacs (with Leon Taheny, Jessie Stein and Michael Small in 2005). Pallett has also recorded and toured with Jim Guthrie, The Hidden Cameras, Royal City, The Vinyl Cafe, Gentleman Reg, and Arcade Fire (they co-wrote the strings arrangement for their albums Funeral and Neon Bible). One of their songs, "This Is the Dream of Win & Regine", was inspired by the principal members of the latter group, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, Pallett provided orchestration for The Age of the Understatement, the debut album of the English supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets, formed by co-frontmen Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and Miles Kane (The Rascals). Pallett also conducted the London Metropolitan Orchestra in the recording of this project.

In June 2009, at Luminato, Toronto's annual festival of arts and creativity, Pallett provided part of the live soundtrack for the outdoor screening (at Yonge-Dundas Square, now Sankofa Square) of the 1919 silent German horror film Tales of the Uncanny, alongside Canadian instrumental band Do Make Say Think and German electronica artist Robert Lippok.

In 2009, Pallett worked with Win Butler and Régine Chassagne on the score for Richard Kelly's film The Box. Pallett was also initially set to score Rabbit Hole, a 2010 film by John Cameron Mitchell, but in the end, the film was scored by Anton Sanko.

In 2010, Pallett recorded with Arcade Fire during sessions for their 2010 album The Suburbs, which later received a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In late 2010, Pallett was named as composer for T Magazine's "Fourteen Actors Acting" project; Pallett received, alongside the producers of that series, an Emmy Award for "New Approaches to News & Documentary Programming: Arts, Lifestyle and Culture".

In 2012, Pallett collaborated with John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, when several songs from Transcendental Youth were performed in concert with the all-female vocal quartet Anonymous 4 and featured Pallett's arrangements for piano, guitar and voices.

Pallett scored the 2013 film The Wait, directed by M. Blash.

Pallett's string arrangements are featured on the songs "Wear" and "Trust" from the 2021 album Ignorance by The Weather Station.

Personal life Pallett was born in Mississauga, Ontario and grew up in Milton. Pallett received an Honours Bachelor of Music for Composition from the University of Toronto in 2002. Pallett is gay and gender-queer, and uses gender-neutral pronouns.

Discography

With Les Mouches The Polite Album (CD-R) – 2002 Blood Orgy!!! (EP) – 2003 You're Worth More to Me Than 1000 Christians – 2004 (rereleased via Orchid Tapes in 2015)

Solo work

Studio albums Has a Good Home (as Final Fantasy) – February 12, 2005 He Poos Clouds (as Final Fantasy) – May 15, 2006 Heartland – January 11, 2010 In Conflict – May 27, 2014 Island - May 22, 2020

Soundtrack albums Spaceship Earth (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - May 22, 2020 Her (Original Score) (with Arcade Fire) - March 19, 2021 Dream Scenario (Original Score) - November 10, 2023

EPs Young Canadian Mothers (as Final Fantasy) – March 10, 2006 Spectrum, 14th Century (as Final Fantasy) – September 30, 2008 Plays to Please (as Final Fantasy) – October 2008 A Swedish Love Story EP – September 28, 2010

Singles "Many Lives → 49 MP" (as Final Fantasy) – May 29, 2006 "Alphabet Series: X" (as Final Fantasy) – October 2007 "Lewis' Dream" (Flora Advert) – February 25, 2008 "Lewis Takes Action" – January 2010 "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" – March 29, 2010 "Julia/Tiberius" (with Daphni) – April 25, 2014

Various songs "Joys" – appears on Worried Noodles (2007), a compilation of David Shrigley's lyrics set to music. "Flare Gun" – appears on #8: SPAM (2007), a compilation released by Esopus. "Possibly Maybe" – duet with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear. Appears on the Stereogum compilation album, Enjoyed (2008), Stars Do You Trust Your Friends? "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" – Remix The Phonemes There's Something We've Been Meaning to Tell You back-up singing on "Pain Perdu", violin and piano on "Kim Rogers", guitar on "Pine Needles"

Luxury Pond Luxury Pond string quartet arrangements The Last Shadow Puppets The Age of the Understatement arranged and conducted orchestrations

The Rumble Strips Welcome to the Walk Alone violin, string arrangements Pet Shop Boys Yes orchestral arrangements The Mountain Goats The Life of the World to Come violin, string arrangements Mika The Boy Who Knew Too Much violin on "Rain"

Arcade Fire The Suburbs String arrangements Gigi Maintenant vocals on "I'll Quit" Diamond Rings "Something Else" single piano, string arrangements on "Gentleman Who Fell" Duran Duran All You Need Is Now string arrangements, conductor on "The Man Who Stole a Leopard" Mantler Monody brass arrangements

The Luyas Too Beautiful to Work strings and string arrangements Alex Turner Submarine soundtrack string arrangements on "Piledriver Waltz" The National "Exile Vilify" single strings Jim Guthrie Sword & Sworcery LP: The Ballad of the Space Babies violin on "The Cloud" R.E.M. Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 orchestral arrangements on "We All Go Back to Where We Belong" and "Hallelujah" Snow Patrol Fallen Empires orchestral arrangements, conductor

Linkin Park Living Things strings on "I'll Be Gone" Lindstrøm De Javu/No Release 12" "No Release" – Remix (feat. Steve Kado) Titus Andronicus Local Business violin Taylor Swift Red orchestral arrangements, conductor on "The Last Time" Robbie Williams Take the Crown orchestral arrangements on "Candy", "Different" and "Into the Silence" Slim Twig A Hound at the Hem string arrangements

The National Trouble Will Find Me strings on "I Need My Girl" David Lang Death Speaks violin Light Fires Face vocals on "Dependent" Franz Ferdinand Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action strings & string arrangement on "Stand on the Horizon" Arcade Fire Reflektor strings & string arrangement

Marram Sun Choir vocals on "With Us Instead" Sarah Neufeld Black Ground EP arrangement on "Breathing Black Ground (Orchestral Version)" Jennifer Castle Pink City string arrangements Caribou Our Love violin, viola

Titus Andronicus The Most Lamentable Tragedy string arrangements, violin, viola Majical Cloudz Are You Alone? cello, drums, violin

The Last Shadow Puppets Everything You've Come to Expect string and brass arrangements Majical Cloudz Wait And See EP cello, drums, violin, piano Little Scream Cult Following string arrangements, violin Snowblink Returning Current string arrangements, violin, viola Ricky Eat Acid Talk To You Soon string arrangements, conductor Emily Reo Spell 10" string arrangements, conductor

Kirin J. Callinan Bravado string arrangements, violin and viola Haim Something to Tell You string arrangement, violin and viola Blue Hawaii Tenderness string arrangements, violin and viola Charlotte Gainsbourg Rest string arrangements, conductor Arcade Fire Everything Now string arrangements, piano, strings Tomberlin At Weddings production, mixing, acoustic guitar, synths, vocals Frank Ocean "Provider" string arrangement, conductor

Richard Russell Everything Is Recorded by Richard Russell string arrangements, violin and viola Kimbra Primal Heart string arrangements Fucked Up Dose Your Dreams string arrangements, violin and viola

The Mountain Goats In League with Dragons production, strings arrangements, piano, organ, and guitar Banks III string arrangements Keane Cause and Effect brass arrangements Odette "Do You See Me" string arrangement Arcade Fire Baby Mine orchestral arrangement Superchunk Acoustic Foolish string arrangements, violin, viola Astrid Swan & Stina Koistinen Diagnosis string arrangements, violin, viola Daniela Gesundheit Alphabet Of Wrongdoing string arrangements, violin, viola Vegyn Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds string arrangements, violin, viola

Jack Colwell "I Will Not Change My Ways" guitar, string arrangement Klô Pelgag Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs string arrangements, violin, viola Sean Nicholas Savage Life Is Crazy string arrangements, violin, viola Pierre Lapointe Chansons hivernales orchestral arrangements

The Weather Station Ignorance string arrangements on "Wear" and "Trust" Nonconnah Songs For And About Ghosts string arrangement, violin, viola Kìzis Tidibàdibe/Turn string arrangements, violin, viola Xiu Xiu OH NO vocals on "I Dream of Someone Else Entirely" Vegyn Like A Good Old Friend string arrangements, violin, viola Hannah Georgas All That Emotion Versions string arrangement on "Easy", violin, viola Wolf Alice Blue Weekend string arrangements, violin, viola Astrid Swan D/other string arrangements, violin, viola Vivek Shraya I'm A Fag For You remixing Model Child Up From The Bottom string arrangements, violin, viola Parcels Day/Night orchestral arrangements Wet Letter Blue string arrangements Lana Del Rey Blue Banisters string arrangements, violin, viola Ed Sheeran = string arrangements, violin, viola Taylor Swift Red (Taylor's Version) string arrangements Basia Bulat The Garden string arrangements

Sharon Van Etten We've Been Going About This All Wrong strings on "Born" Julia Jacklin Pre Pleasure string arrangements on "Ignore Tenderness" and "End of a Friendship" Ibeyi Spell 31 strings on "Creature" Arcade Fire We string arrangements, additional recording Marit Larsen "Hva er igjen av oss" string arrangements

London Grammar The Remixes strings on "Dancing By Night" Sampha Lahai string arrangements Zoon Bekka Ma'iingan string arrangements Jeremy Dutcher Motewolonuwok production, mixing, string and brass arrangements Vegyn "Halo Flip" strings Oscar Lang Look Now string arrangements Holly Macve ft. Lana Del Rey "Suburban House" string arrangement Braids Euphoric Recall string arrangements Matt Holubowski Like Flowers on a Molten Lawn string arrangements Sharon Van Etten "Quiet Eyes" string arrangement, violin, viola

Nelly Furtado 7 string arrangement on "Save Your Breath", additional production on "Untitled" Camila Cabello C,XOXO string arrangements Jennifer Castle Camelot string and horn arrangements Leif Vollebekk Revelation string arrangements METZ Revelation string arrangement, violin, viola, cello Samuel Rosa Rosa string arrangements

Allie X Happiness Is Going To Get You string arrangements Ambre Ciel still, there is the sea string co-arrangement and production Cici Arthur Way Through string arrangements Cloth Pink Silence string arrangements, violin, viola, cello Cold Specks Light For The Midnight string arrangements, violin, viola, cello Ezra Furman and Sharon Van Etten "Feel So Different" string arrangement Lido Pimienta La Belleza production, arrangement Nick & June New Year's Face string arrangements Silvana Estrada Vendrán Suaves Lluvias string arrangements Sorry Cosplay string arrangements

Selected works