Sean McBride - Xeno & Oaklander, Martial Canterel: IDOW Extended Interview #11

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