Owen Pallett

Owen Pallett (born Michael James Owen Pallett-Plowright, on September 7, 1979) is a violinist and singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and winner of the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. Pallett is the principal member of the band Final Fantasy, which is essentially a solo project, although Leon Taheny is also credited as drummer and engineer. The name Final Fantasy is a tribute to the well-known video game series, of which Pallett is a fan. Pallett has been noted for his live performances, wherein he plays the violin into a sampler controlled by foot pedals, which then loops back one or more of the previously played musical phrases as he plays additional parts simultaneously, a technique also used by other musicians such as violinist Andrew Bird, Wrens guitarist Charles Bissell in his solo performances, solo artist Feist, and electronic/avant-garde musician Amy X Neuburg. He has also performed with more traditional string quartets as backing musicians. Pallett is also well known for his work with The Arcade Fire. He has often toured with them, and did the orchestral and string arrangements on both Funeral and Neon Bible.