Dan Sindel, guitarist for Thrash Metal group MX Machine. Interview May 2, 2012
MX Machine Interview
1. Could you tell me about recording the EP Devils Highway with MX Machine?
About a year and a half ago (as of this writing) I had recently joined MX Machine when long time pal Diego Negrete called me and asked if I wanted to carry the torch for the “old school” because way back in the late 80’s my old LA Metal band STONE SOLDIER used to do shows quite frequently with the original lineup of MX Machine (Mitch, Danny, Lee and Diego), who graduated from the club scene and got signed and put out their debut MANIC PANIC in 1988.
Me and all the MX Machine guys are all old pals so I took the time to think about doing this and it seemed like a lot of fun so I agreed to play some ripping thrash/punk metal guitar and so far MX Machine has been in supporting role for such international superstar acts such as SAXON, ACCEPT, MUSHROOMHEAD, Hed PE, AGENT STEEL and HELMET! It is a charge to get out in front of capacity crowds once again, I know my guitars are happy about this, they tell me so!
MX Machine called the one and only Bill Metoyer (of Metal Blade Records fame: SLAYER, W.A.S.P., FLOTSAM & JETSAM, DRI, ARMORED SAINT etc…) to produce the Devils Highway EP and it sounds famous, he truly knows how to capture sound and work very quickly regarding budget and time restraints. I feel honored to be part of the production team and quite proud of the results of the final mix. It is on iTunes and we are gearing up for our first pressing of physical CD product very soon.
We also had an in-studio guest female vocalist, Loana dPValencia who sang on the remake of the MX Machine classic “Kick You In The Face”. Loana was just awesome in the studio and can also be heard on LA’s metal band “Dia de los Muertos” recordings. The EP also features a live bonus track of F@#K THE NEIGHBORS!! (Live from House of Blues, Hollywood Ca) which has mad live concert energy which is exactly what you get from an MX Machine show, pure loud, straightforward punk influenced metal with top level musicianship.
It is exciting as I have teamed up with long time friend John Ayala who is one of the greatest drummers I have ever played with here in Los Angeles and we are now working in a new rhythm guitar player Teri Spiker to help thicken up the sound for live performances and we are in the process of writing new material and prepping for more off-the-hook live shows here in LA.
2. What kind of Guitars and Amplifiers are you playing in 2012 with MX Machine?
I am still using my Marshall rig which is a 1978 JMP 100w Super Lead w/ 2 cabs from the late 70’s. All vintage and beat up which is how it should be… lol
My main guitar is a 1979 Gibson Flying V which has been with me forever, plays like a dream and for backup guitars I have a very unique custom hand built guitar named “MAGGIE” which Willy’s Custom Guitar Repair and I hand built in Willy’s shop.
I also favor a 62 Gibson Les Paul Jr. SG and an Agile AS-820 original design (Gibson 335 Clone).
I use only a few pedals, too many just get in the way of the performance but I do like the Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde and H20 pedals. Can not live without my Peterson Tuners as they are the most precise in the industry! Mogami Cable and Seymour Duncan Pickups and GHS Strings are also exclusively used.
3. Do you use Social Media mostly for promotion of your music now?
Social Media is a double edged sword and I use it for both networking and staying in touch with all my pals worldwide, as much as I resisted it at first and promised not to get too involved with it all “I am now a total facebook junkie”, the world is on that platform and never a dull moment. Matter of fact if you are reading this, please feel free to add me and we can chat if you have something relatively cool to say… lol
4. Do you keep up to date with what’s coming out in your genre of music?
Honestly, not really! Probably for more than one reason or the other but I still favor all the awesome music I grew up with from the late 60’s – 70 – 80’s. My biggest influences are Led Zep, Deep Purple/Rainbow, YES, ELP, Pink Floyd, SCORPIONS, JUDAS PRIEST, RUSH, Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Jeff Beck, Frank Marino, Return To Forever etc… A lot of the newer music just does not move me in the same way, too produced in some cases, too contrived or sterile but sure there are tons of newer bands that have it going on, without a doubt! I get out and see concerts and support the clubs, definitely a new renascence going on but I do not really make a huge effort the way some of pals do to scour the earth for what is new and exciting.
5. How is the current Los Angeles Metal Scene?
For quite a long and sad stretch of time the Los Angeles music scene not just the Metal Scene but as an aggregate was looking pretty sleepy and dismal but thankfully over the last year or 2 the movement has been picking up from what I can see and slowly but surely live music is being supported just a little bit more which is very good to see. There are some great bands out there in clubs doing what they love and the community seems to be pulling together which is important.
Obviously the pay-to-play thing has a dramatic effect on everybody involved but that is just how show biz is run these days, bands can’t really escape that aspect if they want to hit the big stage and support larger acts.
6. What other projects are you working on for the future?
I am currently deep into recording ideas and pretty amazed at how creative I am at the moment. Strange, sometimes ideas just pour like a river and then you go into a writers block mode and as hard as you try the creative process just does not flow. So yes I am taking full advantage of this time and who knows maybe a solo effort or two may arise from this period as well as hopefully some incredibly hard rocking tunes for MX Machine will rise to the surface.
I am also exploring the possibilities or releasing a few older instrumental tracks that I had recorded a few years ago up on iTunes. I have always been interested in making them available worldwide. Of course my debut Symphonic Guitar release “MARCHING IN” is available on iTunes and CDBABY which is a very adventurous recording effort to say the least where I physically took full blown orchestral conductor scores of John Phillip Sousa marches and recreated the entire marching band using unique guitar tracks representing each individual instrument. You can actually hear well over 50 guitars stacked on top of each other in a full blown “guitar marching band”… lol I grew up as kid playing trumpet, trombone and French horn in the school bands so yeah that side of me has never really dissipated and by knowing how to sight read/transpose both treble and bass clef that aided me in tackling this monumentous task.
What is really cool is in early 2008 Guitar Player Magazine somehow found out about the “MARCHING IN” project where I posted my interpretation of Sousa’s “The Liberty Bell” (best known as the Monty Python theme) when I very timidly shared on my MySpace page and Michael Molenda editor in chief actually gave me a nice write-up in the April 08 issue of GUITAR PLAYER Magazine (Allan Holdsworth on the cover). Very honored and that paved the way to a full page spread in none other than the July ‘08 ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN magazine discussing how I approached the sound-on-sound multi-track recording process using pro-tools and various DAW techniques. Quite a surprise indeed! Never saw any of that coming!
7. What could we find interesting in your Music collection in 2012?
Perhaps this question dovetails into my previous answer regarding just grooving on my old tired and true stuff that I already possess although I still have so much on CD and DVD and mp3 that I will probably never even get to listen to, just not enough time in the day! A few bands I have recently come to embrace and enjoy are OPETH, PORCUPINE TREE and OHM (Chris Poland – MEGADETH).
8. Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician?
For starters I am always practicing and trying to keep my chops up. My musical vocabulary is expanding every day, I teamed up with a few exceptionally talented local musicians and we decided to have some fun and play the bars as a professional hired Top40/cover band (DOUBLE DAWG DARE) and I must say I am now playing grooves and feels that I would not do by my own reconnaissance. Not that any of the styles or textures are foreign to me but on a good day I would not just be in room playing to James Brown, K.C, PRINCE or the Black Keys! lol But that is what is required of you if you want this kind of musician work, could be worse I suppose but all in all it is still keeping me involved with the musical dialog. This experience is actually help me grow as a musician in a very positive way.
As well, I am a professional guitar instructor so I am always in the musical conversation one way or another which is healthy and such a Win-Win environment, I really love to teach and instruct beginner guitar privately here in LA and also have a pretty cool YouTube Channel (EZGTR) where I teach online guitar to the masses.
9. Any advice for musicians that are starting in the music industry?
YES, Rule #1: Follow your passion at all costs! Try not to get caught up too much in the biz side of things (as important as it is of course, watch your back!) but never lose your focus of why you “LOVE TO MAKE MUSIC”, this is coming from the voice of experience! There was a period of close to 12 years or so when even I lost the passion to play after the biz side soured and disillusioned me but thankfully as of about 5 years ago the fog had lifted and I feel so good about being able to express myself musically all over again, feels like a new day, a fresh start!
Stay true to yourself and try and do your best to learn something new on your instrument everyday and support your local scene, only way to keep it alive my friends!
With all that said upon closing I want to personally thank Music Legends magazine for allowing me to talk to your readership. Been a pleasure!
Thank you!
Dan Sindel
More MX Machine information available here
*You can visit my websites for more fun stuff
http://www.dansindel.us
http://www.ezgtr.com
*Hear my guitar work with MX Machine:
https://www.facebook.com/MXMachineOfficial/
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