Konichiwa! My name is Ken Seeno. I live in Los Angeles, California, but I am from the countryside in Pennsylvania. I used to be in a band called Ponytail that started as an art project. As a solo artist, I play a MIDI guitar which allows me to control synths and my computer with my guitar. I'm also a designer & artist during the day.
How was Japan Tour with Mark McGuire?
The tour with Mark was the best. Mark is not only a solid friend, but he's super funny. We said to 'yes' to everything presented to us and kept a positive energy burning brightly. It was a blast. I have always wanted to travel to Japan and it was everything I hoped for and more. I was sad to leave!
I watch the show in Niigata. It was so amazing! How was the show in Niigata?
The show in Niigata was very special, not only because it was in a beautiful temple ( a first for me ) but because it was the last show that I was playing of the tour. The energy in the room was very hushed and intense. Mark's set was flawless and very emotional. His solo guitar encore made me feel alive and very grateful to have been given such an opportunity to come and meet so many amazing people. It was a very special night.
Your new japanese tour CD titled "American Landscape Paintings" is so wonderful! How is the music made?
Thank you! The music is made with various synthesizers and my MIDI guitar, which was a gift from Anand Wilder of Yeasayer. The guitar can translate pitch to MIDI, allowing me to control and play synthesizers yielding intuitive electronic melodies as if I were playing them on the guitar. Sometimes I use sounds I design myself and other times I use saxophone, french horn, tin whistle, and other emulative sounds. I even use a sound that emulates a very loud distorted guitar, though it is really a synthesizer.
What did you have the concept when you started to make this.
The concept for this album came out of feelings of immense change I was experiencing in my life and it was inspired by my enormous move across the United States to California. This was a major life change for me and the future felt vast, empty, terrifying, and also unbelievably exciting and rich.
I feel your music is so many kind of music. Do you think that you were influenced by any kind of music?
For this record I was influenced by many different types of music, but it's hard for me to say exactly what influenced me at the time. When I'm writing, I'm just fully involved and I work very fast. I think I was influenced by German music, and my friends.
You + Mark + Dustin = Kawaii Boys! How is this great project?
When Mark asked me to join him on the tour, I reached out to Dustin (my former bandmate) and told him I was coming to Japan. So Dustin got on the bill for the Tokyo show!! Absolutely perfect. Once Mark and I arrived in Tokyo, we decided to try to improvise together and jam for the encore. We basically didn't know just exactly what was going to happen when we went up there, but it was really fun and I think it was great. I love both of those guys, so I couldn't stop smiling on stage. Definitely one of the highlights of our tour!
Do you have some japanese favorite artists?
YES! Yellow Magic Orchestra, Akiko Yano, Dustin Wong, Flower Travelin' Band... I really love Japanese music, even if I can't remember my favorites right now, haha.
Please let me know near future plan.
Mark and I are talking about starting a new project. We will see!
Please give japanese fans a massage!
Japan is incredible. Thank you for listening to my music. It's a dream come true. I cannot wait to come back!
INTERVIEW in May 2013
TRANSLATED by Naoko Yamada
TEXT by Masato Hoshino
KEN SEENO
