Inside the mind of an 'Outsider Musician' | Daniel Wilson (Meadow House)

Daniel Wilson (Meadow House, Post Electronics, Oscillatorial Binnage) joins Sam to discuss being labeled an outsider musician—how he relates to the term, and whether it connects to neurodivergence. They explore the challenges of sustaining a creative career outside conventional structures and how Dan’s approach to sound and music reflects a truly divergent way of thinking—embracing what he calls “a point of difference.”

Topics Discussed:

• Being labeled an outsider musician – How Dan has been described as an outsider artist, how he relates to that label, and whether it resonates with his own creative identity.

• Sustaining a creative career outside conventional structures – The challenges of making a living as an experimental musician working outside mainstream support systems.

• The evolving meaning of outsider art – How the term “outsider” has changed over time and whether it still holds relevance today, especially in a internet age.

• A divergent approach to music and sound – Dan’s creative philosophy, his use of unconventional methods (e.g., tape dropping, found objects, and Post Electronics), and his emphasis on creating a “point of difference.”

Chapters:

00:00 Coming up in this episode 

00:29 Episode intro

04:00 Dan discusses his creative work

04:53 Tape dropping

08:21 Developing post-electronics and Oscillatorial Binnage

10:34 Dan on ‘creating a point of difference’

12:27 How Dan gains opportunities (I)

13:46 MTV work

16:16 Dan’s relationship with the label ‘outsider musician’

22:22 What can ‘othering’ mean?

25:35 Daphne Oram’s ‘mismatched impedance’ theory 

27:14 Mental health vs creative output 

31:00 Dan on the history of outsider art

34:44 Are labels like ‘outsider’ useful?

39:36 How Dan gains opportunities (II)

40:46 Post-pandemic challenges

39:39 What support would benefit ‘outsider artists’?

47:54 Commission success (Radionics Radio)

52:05 What has Dan learnt through his career?

54:11 Episode outro

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