Luke Ferdinand is a performer based in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Focused on expansive works for guitar and electronics, Luke has been creating experiences since the late 1990s, first collaborating with John W. Fail in the duo Land., Luke returned to music in 2020 with the release of Structured Play under the moniker of the Peripheral, a selection for the STACKS program at the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh. Through 2023 Luke co-owned the netlabel Svylk Svylkyns, through which he released a variety of recordings in digital and novelty formats.
As a solo performer, Luke has conducted conceptual performances at the Rhoneymeade festival in Pennsylvania and around various venues in the southwest Pennsylvania region, mixing atmospheric guitar with noise, field recordings, AI-augmented projections and as a collaborator in a variety of improvisational groups. Seeking to immerse and involve the audience whenever possible, Luke’s performances often contain an interactive component, such as Magical Drop Ice Cream Parlor, a piece performed with ice cream scoops, granular synthesis, and the voices of audience members who were invited to build their own ice cream sundaes as well as vocalize into an accompanying microphone.
Luke is currently collaborating with Vanessa Rae Beggs in psych-folk duo Regolith, working on no wave/noise band Ugly Fairy, and preparing new acoustic and ambient works for solo performance.
