SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Deftones frontman Chino Moreno was recently discovered belting out various moans and screams into an oscillating fan while working on one of his side-projects, confirmed audio engineers scrambling to find the right plug-ins to capture his true essence.
“For the most part, my signature sound can be captured using a tried-and-true Black & Decker with the 16” blade,” said Moreno as he worked his way through the band’s warehouse taking an inventory of the dozens of fans he’s accumulated over the years. “But I’ve been toying with my sound, and I’ve really taken a liking to Lasko/Galaxy 3150/2150 12″ oscillating fans from the ’70s for their tighter midrange. They just don’t build them like they used to. Dyson makes some good shit too, but they’re not really built for the road. And the bladeless models make Stefan paranoid for reasons that I don’t fully understand.”
Deftones drummer and founding member Abe Cunningham is surprisingly supportive of Moreno’s growing collection of oscillating fans despite the staggering storage costs.
“Our last merch drop pretty much secured the lease at our warehouse for the next five years, so Chino can buy as many fans as he wants,” said Cunningham as he worked through his pre-concert stretches. “Fuck, I’m 50 years old, and I’m still using 2B sticks, so who am I to get in the way of his creative process if it means that I can use his 20” Lasko Wind Machine Air Circulator Floor Fan with three different speed settings to cool off behind the kit until he needs it for the last chorus of ‘Digital Bath?’ It helps him slide into those high notes, and I don’t drop any sticks because my hands are dry as a bone.”
Deftones producer and longtime collaborator Terry Date admits how impractical Moreno’s vocal methods are, but can’t argue with the results.
“Chino is going to do what Chino does, and I try not to get in the way of his musical genius,” Date said in regard to Moreno’s unconventional methods. “I’m not in a position to complain, because Deftones are still selling records to legions of fans. Do I wish he used more up-to-date technology in a live setting? Absolutely. But that scream in ‘Genesis’ you’re hearing? You can thank Honeywell for that.”
At press time, Moreno was spotted at Lowe’s staring in awe at a Hunter Xp 120” ceiling fan.