By Riel Lynch
Colin Stetson is a saxophone player from Montreal who plays like no other. He released his Polaris-nominated sophomore album New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges in Feburary 2011 and it’s still making waves—because of his unusual techniques, which allow him to play notes continuously for several minutes. Besides playing solo shows, he plays in Belle Orchestre, has opened for Arcade Fire, collaborated with Bon Iver, and has played in festivals around the world. He took enough time to breathlessly answer the phone and talk to Stylus.
Stylus: How do you breathe in an entirely different fashion for extended periods of time and not pass out?
Colin Stetson: Well, you aren’t getting any less air then you are breathing regularly. It’s just a different way, like you said. Sometimes you actually get a little more oxygen than normal. You breathe through your nose while air is coming through your mouth, so there is no lack of air. After awhile, your muscles in your face start to break down, not so much in your lungs.
Stylus: Where was this technique learned?
CS: From my high school teacher, I was around 15. This was something he had just learned, and he found it difficult to do, because it was better to learn early on. The hardest part is tricking your body to allow air to come in down through your nose. I don’t think it took me anymore than a week to figure out how to do it. I don’t even remember not being able to do it. It definitely takes awhile to adjust and to find your equilibrium and not give so much air that you pass out.
Stylus: Contrasting between your first album New History Warfare Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, I found that in your first, you are telling this story… you can hear it. But in your second, you’re still telling a story, but it’s much more advanced in its details. How was this transition made? Continue reading “Colin Stetson – Breathing History”