Casper Mcfadden Interview

originally published 11/10/2022 by These Days Magazine for their seasonal "Chicago Artists to Watch series" (read here)

Casper Mcfadden is making dance music for those who geek out on cool shit. Attuned to the magic of sampling, Casper pieces together eccentric, yet sentimental scraps of pop culture with ambient melodies and fast breaks to form a captivating patchwork quilt of sound. In sampling everything from anime to commercials ripped straight from his VHS collection, Casper’s music calls for an attentive ear to catch these fleeting motifs.

Growing up, Casper’s formative years were anything but static. While Chicago has always been home base, with the exception of a period spent in Vegas, Casper recalls moving around into different neighborhoods across the city. Perhaps this variability in environment is what influenced his flexibility in music. Casper’s early beginnings started with a guitar and a love for Daniel Johnston, making a transition into the electronic space once he got more familiar with sequencers and drum machines. Nevertheless, his acoustic experience lives on amongst his digital sound. Casper Mcfadden’s music embraces the weird and unconventional, allowing listeners the space to unwind and freely enjoy themselves, “I just wanna be me and everyone else should wanna be them too.”