argonaut&wasp is a Brooklyn synth-pop band comprised of producers Theo Klein and Trey Schibli along with bandmates Chris Corsico on drums, and Alec Donkin on bass. Their music has been described as “the perfect soundtrack to New York City,” combining the danceable synth driven elements of Hot Chip, Pheonix, and Daft Punk. Having just released their latest single “Composure,” Theo Klein sat down with us this week to answer all our questions about their single and talk synthesizers:

If you could sit down with any musician from history, who would it be and what would you ask them?

I would sit down with Brian Eno. I’d ask him to explain the way he listens to songs and how he decides what direction to take them in. 

How long have you all been a band?

The current lineup has been together for four years. Chris (drums) joined the group in 2015. Trey, Alec, and I met at the University of Vermont, so we’ve been playing music together for a while now!

You have great synthesizer tones in your music. What’s your current setup?

The Roland JX-8P and Waldorf Blofeld Synth.

Do you have your own home studio? How’d you get into music production? 

I got into music production in high school with Garage Band. In college, I started using Ableton and tracking friends’ bands. Trey and I live together, and we have a recording studio in our apartment.

An argonaut&wasp festival would be pretty sick! If you could curate your own music festival who would the headliners be?

DEVO, David Byrne, and LCD Soundsystem.

I would definitely go to that festival! Can you tell us about the making of your latest single, “Composure”? 

“Composure” was recorded in our apartment. I produced it, Jason Staniulis mixed it, and Joe Laporta mastered it. The foundation of the song started with the key’s melody (which I wrote on the piano in my bedroom). From there I programmed an E-drum loop. I then added the bass (Roland JX-8P). I then wrote the vocals and repeated the hook: “and I know.” Trey then recorded the guitar in the pre-chorus section. From there, we added some more details, and the song was done!

If you could create a short film to go along with “Composure,” what would it be?

I would do an experimental art piece. A lot of our videos are very narrative, and it would be fun to try doing something more visual based.

Nice! Maybe you could premiere it at the festival. What are some of your favorite Brooklyn venues to play currently?

Elsewhere, Rough trade, and Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Any other news you’d like to announce to our readers?

We’re playing a release show May 22 at Rough Trade!

Thanks for chatting with us, Theo! Check out their latest single, “Composure,” below and make sure to check them out at Rough Trade May 22: