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Ben Miller / degeneration
Miller's solo performance explores the "prepared guitar" as a form of auditory degeneration. This mulitphonic instrument (a deconstructed Gibson Kalamazoo) has two humbucker pickups (bridge/nut), two contact pickups (body/headstock) and a third pickup (mobile) panned mono to further complicate matters. The guitar is placed on its back with its six strings strung about one fifth below standard tuning. Intonation is arbitrary. The strings are primarily excited by the use/abuse of metal slides, combs, springs, a lint trap, a restaurant-style salt shaker, violin bow, Ebow, etc. The strings are occasionally "prepared" with binder clips, Ace bandage fasteners, and other found objects. On top of this, retaining a stereo field, Miller adds the occasional use of electronics; delay, sampling, octave devider/harmonizer, tremolo, ring modulation, analog cassette tape, radio, and the liberal use of a bixby tailpiece. Besides sounds generated by the strings, the instrument also makes use of string-sounds below the bridge, above the nut, and sounds from the guitar body itself. A guitar pick is almost never used. The neck and frets are rarely implemented as "a neck with frets". Approaches to the instrument extend from subtle to violent. The end result is a textured, multi-layered stereophonic soundscape.
First constructed in 1982, "The Zoo" was converted to stereo by placing the second pickup facing down over the first fret by means of tinker toys and a strip of metal. At that time, Miller was using the instrument in the Michigan art band; GKW . This group continued for twelve years, releasing several cassettes. Miller honed an atmospheric approach with Chicago's Dirty Old Man River from 1997-2000, playing on two of their CDs (Radial Records).
In 2000, Miller started performing solo as Ben Miller/degeneration and released its first CDR; INTERCOM" If new expressionists closed their eyes and
painted what they saw then Ben Miller must be taping shut his ears and
playing what he hears..." Melissa Giannini METRO TIMES 2001.
Most of INTERCOM was played on a Silvertone archtop guitar
modified to stereo (pickups in standard placement), although live "The Zoo" was always used.
Since moving from Chicago to Brooklyn, NYC in 2003, Miller has released 3 more Degeneration CDRs; Over & Out, Layer (Picture Music specifically recorded for brother Roger's 2005 art opening) and Sirens of Phobos(see Products For Sale).
T-shirts are now available. The image is an extreme close-up of the instrument that includes a 1979 self-portrait by artist Leanne Mahoney that has been a part of the guitar from the get-go. Shirts are 100% cotton, Grey, come in Large and Medium, hi-quality Iron-ons. Be the first on your block! $10 (free S & H).
Several Ben Miller/degeneration releases are anticipated for 2009; a Living Records compilation, Ben Miller/degeneration LIVE 2000-2009, Ben Miller/degeneration Newest Expressionism; M2 w/brother Roger, and a trio release with Ben, Roger and Matt Weston.
on SIRENS OF PHOBOS:
"...This warped, questing music is sometimes like a game of blind man's bluff in a rotting warehouse: you feel that Miller has set things up so that he too doesn't quite know what's going on. A genuine experiment, then. Miller's guitar is heavily detuned and intonations are random...Miller doesn't use guitar technique as such, he stays firmly in touch with the instrument's sound, so if spokes are being forced through strings, that's what you hear. The result is down and dirty with very little electronic trumpery. Miller expands his palette by releasing bursts of free sax, like unleashing a dog to tear around the park. Motoko Shimizu contributes clear-voiced singing, while Ed Chang tosses in skittish sampled loops. These two are members of New York pranksters Spin 17, and offer a playful foil to Miller's sombre preoccupations. Ten minutes into the album, there's a growing sense that Miller is settling in and raising the temperature. The central tracks "Interstellar Still Life" and "Ancestral Communications" have plenty of character. Their dense, clangorous racket is Miller's strong suit, and he should play it more often."
— Clive Bell / WIRE Magazine March 2008
BEN MILLER / DEGENERATION MySpace
YOU TUBE: "Catacombing" Live @ Dream Theatre, Ypsilanti, Mich. 2004".
Contact Ben Miller at info@benmiller.info
© 2003 Ben Miller
