This video captures an extended interview with Sean McBride. The interview one of the extended interviews done in the process of creating the I Dream Of Wires modular synthesizer documentary.
Interview Summary:
After an initial interview following his debut Toronto performance in 2011, I Dream Of Wires visited the Brooklyn NY studio of Sean McBride, for a first-hand look into his working methods. McBride has been releasing his unique brand of intricate synthwave music since the early 2000s, both as a solo artist under the name Martial Canterel, and as half of the Xeno and Oaklander duo.
McBride has been an outspoken devotee of hardware analog synthesizers, and utilizes a vast collection of vintage drum machines, sequencers, and synths, ranging from basic the basic SH-101 to modular (Serge, Roland 100m) and semi-modular (Roland 100, Arp 2600) units; from a Prefixmag interview: “I liken the playing of these synths to a craft, the making of something with one’s hands. Perhaps akin to the potter’s wheel — it is a fragile and vulnerable balance between hand and tool.”
In recent years, McBride’s live rig has shifted towards a contemporary, portable Eurorack-heavy modular system, better suited to his extensive international touring. Xeno and Oaklander is set to release a new album on Ghostly International, summer 2014.
See the Xeno And Oaklander site for more info on McBride and the I Dream Of Wires site for more info on the documentary.
I love these interviews. Thanks for posting.
I finally got my IDOW extended hardcore edition DVD a couple of weeks ago. If you haven’t got yours yet, dial up Amazon immediately. An excellent documentary, essential viewing.
Agreed. Great documentary. Go for the extended hardcore edition.
Some of those sounds are amazing
All equipment kept in a smoke-free studio…
The guy seems pretty intense. I thought about the cigarette smoke too. But you know what? I’m sure a lot of vintage gear was exposed to smoke. If the gear was ever used live, there were no smoke-free clubs, and how about in the studio? I guarantee a lot of them were a smokers paradise.