BeatRoute Magazine Alberta print e-edition - Feb. 2016

TENSION COLLECTORS
dexterous and kooky drummer Sean MacIntosh branches out by Brittany Rudyck
ROBERT
ROCKPILE
It’s always astonishing to meet musicians who are
committed to 30 different projects and still manage
to hold down full-time jobs. These are the kind
of people who do it purely to for the love of creating.
One of Edmonton’s most highly-regarded drummers,
Sean MacIntosh, is a shining example of this work
ethic: taking on projects that have stood the test of
time like Gary Debussy, or with fun sides like Night
Court — a collaboration with Robert Burkosky —
which may only linger for a show or two.
For a prolific collaborator like MacIntosh, finding the
time to do a solo project was something that has been
in process for a few years. Hence, the birth of Tension
Collectors, an electronic-based project that has acted as
somewhat of a journal for the quirky and exceptionally
talented artist.
“I bought a new sampler and I started listening to a
lot of electronic music and hip hop. I really started to
get into it and became really inspired. It was mostly at
work too, because I’m a shipper/receiver at this place
downtown, and there’s some downtime, so I try to be as
secretly creative as possible. I’d get all this sound source
material while I was at work and try to put it into songs.
It’s mostly me trying to make stuff that I like. I have a
weird process where I throw all these different tracks in,
get them into some kind of cohesive shape and then I
walk away from it for a couple of days. Then I go back
and keep playing with it.”
If you haven’t seen MacIntosh perform in any of
his several projects, you’re missing out on a drummer
who smiles joyfully the entire time he’s behind the
kit. His bouncy, effortless musical style has prompted
several local artists to reach out for his expertise,
most recently Caity Fisher and the Wastoids.
The group freshly finished recording an album in
mid-January to be released later this year. In addition,
MacIntosh seemed quite certain of a full-length Gary
Debussy release for 2016.
“We’re really slow, which isn’t news to anyone, but
I think we have an album to put out. We’re just really
picky,” he shrugged honestly. “We have a bunch of stuff
recorded and I’m really excited to share it with people.
Gary Debussy will always be mainly instrumental, but
Jackie from Banshee has joined us onstage before and
that was ridiculous, so who knows.”
Until then, the Tension Collectors tape release on
Pseudo Laboratories this month will feature short, static
worlds peering into MacIntosh’s mind. “There’s some
angry stuff on there. That first batch, anyway. The computer
I had with the initial batch of tunes was stolen.
They also took band cash and a bunch of other dumb
things like the power supplier to my sampler. So, I didn’t
even have a sampler for about a month. I had to save
up for a new computer, re-jigger my set up and figure
out that whole thing again. That set me back and I got
pretty bummed about it, actually.”
While the idea of Night Court busting out a surprise
set at the release show would be “fucking sweet,”
MacIntosh isn’t giving out too much on just what
exactly will go down at this show. If you’re interested
in going, feel free to drop Pseudo Laboratories a line
for more details.
Check out the Tension Collectors tape release along with
Robert Burkosky, Boothman, and Untrained Animals at
the Panch House on February 13th.
Sean MacIntosh managed to find the time for a solo release as Tensions Collectors.
BURKOSKY
slinky porno synth creator sets sights on the future
Between Ben Disaster and adult pursuits, Robert Burkosky preps solo release.
Conversations with musicians like Robert
Burkosky are the kind to inspire an odd
curiosity about many unknown and
unconventional subjects. BeatRoute watched
Burkosky sip bubble tea and discuss everything
from Ron Jeremy to ‘80s horror films to the
myriad of musical projects he’s been part of
including Energetic Action, Christ Appearing as
Sun and most recently, Ben Disaster.
While the chat tried to focus on his upcoming
cassette release, his eclectic array of knowledge
steered us in some interesting directions.
BeatRoute: Tell me about your current solo
project and why it was important to you to
branch out in the direction you have.
Robert Burkosky: It’s a two-song cassette
single called Timeless Obsession. I wrote it in
the summertime and recorded it in October.
I recently broke free of the one band I was
playing in [Ben Disaster] so I could focus on
being a multi-instrumentalist. I’m a fan of a lot
of jazz and soundtrack music and I wanted to
do something that creates more of a dream and
helps me escape. I’m so influenced by film and
TV, and with this release, I was trying to emulate
the music I had heard in a lot of the ‘90s softcore
porno shows I would watch in the basement
very quietly as a child [laughs]. The music was
always instrumental but it featured very sultry
rhythms and a lot of guitar and keyboard. It was
very erotic music and it stuck with me.
BR: In the video, “Illicit Dreams,” I spied
a photo of you with Ron Jeremy. Can you
explain how that photo happened?
RB: I met Ron at the Taboo: Naughty but Nice
Convention back in 2013. I’m a huge connoisseur
of adult films and collect erotic cinema
focusing on the golden age of adult film from
the late ‘60s to the late ‘80s. I’m so fascinated
with it because they were actual movies back
in those days. They had a script, the plot had
something to it and the performers could actually
act. So, when I heard Ron was coming to
town, I grabbed a bunch of my collection to be
by Brittany Rudyck
photo: Jesse Nash
signed. The first thing he said to me was, “Wow,
this is refreshing. This guy has really great taste!”
I think he was pretty stoked that I actually
knew a lot about his filmography.
BR: Your father is an iconic drummer in
the metal band Disciples of Power. Is that
where you get your chops from?
RB: Totally. Since I was a baby I would sit on his
lap and listen to everything from Judas Priest to
Kiss to Slayer. He would move my arms and air
drum. I got my first kit at the age of three and
since then it’s been an obsession. I gotta thank
my dad for that.
BR: So, what’s the next instrument you
want to learn?
RB: Probably a saxophone. I’ve had a little experience
with saxophones when I did a release with a
group called Filipino Doctor, which was a free jazz
trio that myself, Keaton Bassett and David Finkelman
created. We recorded some stuff in 2012, but
I actually want to learn how to properly play it,
practice and learn scales. John Coltrane is one of
my idols and I worship that man’s music.
BR: What’s up next for you after the cassette
release?
RB: My wife Moira and I have a side project
called Beauty Rest. We have two singles that have
been digitally released. It’s dance music with a
very ethereal, dreamy, melancholy sort of filter.
We’re currently writing and trying to get enough
material to release a full-length. Another group I
play in called Cockatoo are coming back from a
hiatus. They were one of my favourite local bands
when I was a teenager, and in 2013, they asked
me to play drums for them. They’ve been around
since 2006 and highly inspired by ‘80s gothic rock
and post punk. I love playing drums in Cockatoo.
I love it all.
Pseudo Laboratories is releasing Burkosky’s tape
along with Boothman, Calgary’s Untrained Animals
and Tension Collectors at the Panch House
on February 13th.
BEATROUTE • FEBRUARY 2016 | 31