The Fix

I’ve always had a fondness for early organs and synths. Visits to my Uncle Ken were made even more magical when I got to play his Casio, with its multiple stops, rhythms and choruses. More recently, I spent a magical afternoon with Mark Mothersbaugh as he demoed his crazy keyboard collection.

Now a new documentary looks at the Mellotron, an early analogue synthesizer. Hope I get the chance to see it! In the meantime, here’s the trailer, which includes a brief appearance by Jon Brion.

Hey, those of you who missed me singing at an Irish session earlier this year can now hear it anytime on CBC’s Concerts on demand. Here’s what they say:

For the past ten years, Dora Keogh’s Irish Pub, on the Danforth in Toronto, has hosted arguably the premier traditional Irish music session in the city, if not the country. Both the proprietors and the musicians strive to replicate the authentic experience of music sessions as they would occur in Ireland.

The core group of regular local musicians are regarded as some of the finest players around, and their numbers are frequently augmented by guests of national and international stature.

Hear just my song here

A few years back I had the opportunity to interview composer, performer and artist Mark Mothersbaugh. He’s a founding member of Devo, and he’s also the composer of inventive movie scores. His music has become one of the signatures of the Wes Anderson style, and at the time we met, “The Life Aquatic” was about to be released.

We talked about how he first started working with Wes Anderson; the challenges posed by composing ‘art’ music or ‘popular’ music; the advantages of going back in time technologically; his visual art; and the development of the human brain.

I can’t play the whole interview here, but I can mete out a few excerpts. Here’s the first, in which we talk working with Wes Anderson, and also take a stroll through the studio to hear some of his distinctive instruments.

* This interview was produced for CBC Radio. All rights reserved *

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download