Marquette-based electronic musician Chad McKinney recently sat down with host Kurt Hauswirth to discuss his latest album, "Hyperfixate (Waiting for Something to Happen)." The title reflects a year-and-a-half-long period spent navigating a busy mind, chasing elusive inspiration, and waiting for the internal noise to settle. Rather than delivering a meticulously polished commercial product, McKinney embraces a raw, honest snapshot of his creative journey. Ultimately, he discovered that the process of working through artistic paralysis and forcing himself to keep plugging away was the exact destination he was searching for.
The album’s unique sonic identity was forged across a variety of Midwestern backdrops, spanning McKinney’s home studio, a remote cabin in the Upper Peninsula, and hotel rooms in Duluth and Sault Ste. Marie during boat-watching trips. Leaving the familiar distractions of home provided a necessary tunnel vision, allowing him to record sessions on his laptop and iPad on his own time. Musically, the project blends ambient textures with electronic beats, utilizing a diverse toolkit of analog synthesizers and lo-fi samplers. A key element of the record involves recycling damaged ideas - accidental mistakes and forgotten track fragments from past files that found a new, subtle home within the layers of these six tracks.
Public Radio 90's Kurt Hauswirth spoke with McKinney about his latest album:
Mastered by long-time friend and collaborator Tony Dutcher, the album flows through a natural, subconscious arc that balances beat-driven energy with cinematic, chilling space. For McKinney, who has more than twenty releases to his name, music functions primarily as a form of personal documentation - a tangible record of pushing through hurdles and continuing to build things anyway. Ultimately, the Marquette artist views this release not as something to over-analyze, but as an encouraging reminder for fellow creators to embrace their messy realities, trust the process, and stay true to their own unique voices.
Find McKinney's latest album, "Hyperfixate," wherever you stream music, with physical editions available via his Bandcamp link.
The preceding interview was also broadcast as part of The Shuffle on Saturday, June 6th, 2026.
