5/08/2008

Workspace and Environment: Mr. Projectile



Yo Yo Yo! One last gig in Amsterdam on Saturday the 11th, then it's home back to Chicago! But before any of that happens, here is Mr. Projectile!

Matthew Arnold of Mr. Projectile

Background
I was born in NY,NY and through a long series of twists and turns throughout my 33 years i've landed in San Francisco at the moment. I've been making music since 1994... but I must say it wasn't very good music. My music probably didn't get good until around 1998. I had a few beginning motivating factors. I first heard proper electronic music in 1992 on a radio show called Depth Probe in Minneapolis. The feeling I got instantly was: what had I been missing out on? So a huge contributing factor in the beginnig was me wanting to be a contributing factor to the electronic music world. I would say that it is still the huge motivating force behind why I love making electronic music.

What is your current favorite piece of hardware?
Nord Modular G2. I haven't found a synth that better suits the type of music that I do. The knob setup, the build quality and the software editor are the best that i've seen. I use the Nord a lot to do the things that i don't want to manually do, such as random sequenced bleeps and arpeggiations. The ability to improvise with it while performing is a huge thing also.

What is your current favorite software or plugin?
I'm pretty pumped on Guitar Rig these days. Everything on it just has this smoother more round sound than anything else. I keep finding myself going back to those plug-ins more than anything else.

How does your physical space and surroundings influence your workflow?
At the moment I think I have one of the smallest rooms in San Francisco. It's pretty cramped, but I think the upside to that is that I only have to swivel maybe a foot to reach everything I need which over the years i've found increases my workflow... when I'm not having to move around too much to get to things.

Are you involved in any sound work outside of your music?
Does playing Super Mario Galaxy count?

What was the first piece of hardware you remember obtaining?
Technics KN-2000, for those who want to laugh... look it up on youtube. I recently built a x0x b0x which i'm farily in love with now.

What is on your current 'wish list' for new hardware or software?
Call me crazy but I want my mc-303 back. That thing was so simple. Also after looking at Richard Lainhart's site, I now want a Buchla 200e pretty bad.

Do you have a mobile studio setup?
My current studio is my mobile setup. Macbook Pro, Firewire 410, Machinedrum Sps-1, x0x b0x, and a Nord Modular G2.

Do you have a setup for live performances?
I am currently using my whole studio for live perfromances. I'm having a lot of fun playing the bulk of the songs out of the computer and then using the gear to sort of improvise over the songs. It's also nice to know that anything I do at home can instantly go on the road as well.

How many physical locations have you had your studio setup in over time and how have they changed?
Savage MN, St. Paul MN, Minneapolis MN in three separate places, Santa Fe NM in two separate places, Missoula MT in two separate places, Santa Cruz CA, and two separate places in San Francisco.

Have you ever heard your music being played at a random/public place?
I have had friends play my songs while at various events which is always a nice gesture. I once heard one of the Skam DJ's play a song of mine while opening for Autechre.

Find his stuff at:
junodownload.com/semisexual
semisexual.addictech.com
myspace.com/misterprojectile

2 comments:

Seth said...

Matthew Arnold, you are my hero. Seriously!
To make the huge and super mega clean mix u make with that room and gear is simply astonishing. I bet u didnt go to Cal Arts or Berklee as well, therefore, yeah, you are the man!

Seth said...

Let me correct myself here and now about this comment I did an year ago, ur setup is not bad at all Matt, u have a small setup, but a very good one, I personally would love to have a modular g2 and a xoxbox obviously, what I had in mind back then was like, how great it is to be able to deliver such an amazing production album as "sinking" with such a "small" setup, that is a superb inspiration to all of us living in shitty places with exorbitant import taxes! ;))
Looking forward for ur new album In The West now!
Cheers!