Bernard Pearce of One Man Machine began as the lone man. He was frustrated by his difficulty finding workable bandmates for the multimedia act he had in mind. Pearce wanted to experiment with what he calls “sound collage, not really songs,” but “when it got old and boring,” he says, it was on to the next step. He looked to collaborate with others, hoping to able to exchange ideas and make more music. He also wanted someone to help schlep the many instruments the...