Ben Miller / degeneration

Miller's degeneration explores "prepared guitar" as a form of sonic degeneration. His self-modified mulitphonic instrument is equiped with several picups; 1 humbucker in standard placement, 1 humbucker over the first fret, 2 piezo contact pickups (headstock/body) and a Hexaphonic pickup outputting each string separately. The guitar is placed on its back with its six strings strung far below standard tuning with intonation more often arbitrary. Strings are excited by metal slides, springs, combs, chains, bows, eBows, etc. and "prepared" with binder clips, bolts, screws, and other found objects. String-sounds also occur below the bridge, above the nut, and from the guitar body itself. The use of a guitar pick and the traditional means of a "guitar neck with frets" is rare. Retaining a mulitphonic output, Miller adds a score of electronics, a Casio SK1, analog tape decks, mis-channeled radio, and the liberal use of a Bixby tailpiece. First altered in 1982, "The Zoo" (a deconstructed Gibson Kalamazoo) was one of many oddities integral to the sound of Ann Arbor's willfully obscure GKW (God Knows Who).

Miller honed his prepared guitar approach with Chicago's Dirty Old Man River from 1997-2000. "...Miller's chainsaw hum sputters almost subliminally, lurking in the shadows of the mix." THE SADDEST MOVIE SCREEN, CMJ 1998
"...it's been a long time since anyone has done Wisconsin Death Trip gothic on this level...bloodcurdling prepared-guitar breaks and squeals make the nightmare stick." AGELESS, Chicago Reader 2000
"...scratches, whirrs and random blurts of noise that are almost 100-percent free of such niceties as meldies, riffs or notes...this mad scientist claws at a modified, tabletop Gibson...It's squeaks, croaks, frequency disruptions and energy fields assassinate DOMR's compositions, knocking them sideways and diluting their cabaretish flair... By comparison, the latest Weimar-lounge howlers by Nick Cave and Einsturzende Neubauten sound like cries from a nursing home for reformed junkies." AGELESS, New York Press 2000

At the turn of the century, under the moniker Ben Miller/degeneration, Miller began solo performance specific to this instrument. Retreating from the overused Free Improv labeling, steering his way with subconcious intent via vaguely structured outlines and parameters, Miller did what he may do best: make noise. "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; blood thrashing through arteries, nerves popping, synapses burning,..doors knocking, feet bounding up echoed stairways...Formerly a part of the 'anti-rock band' Destroy All Monsters, Miller takes the 'anti' idea a step further." Melissa Giannini, Detroit Metro Times 2001.

Miller's ideas then expanded with a quartet aptly named "Regeneration" with Pete Ayars on laptop, Kotaro Seki on upright bass and viola, Jonathan Chen on Stroh, and Steve Hess on percussion. Though only performing in 2002, a Regeneration release is in the process.

Miller now resides in the NYC-metro area performing, recording and collaborating with numerous artists. He regularly tours the east coast and Europe.

Current DGEN releases; INTERCOM, OVER AND OUT, LAYER, SIRENS OF PHOBOS, LIVE PERFORMANCES & RADIO BROADCASTS, EYELANDS UNDER EYELID and POLAR SHIFTS on Living Records, Tigerasylum Records, Gulcher Records, and Obsolete Units. Miller is distributed in Japan via ART INTO LIFE and on this website.

UPCOMING DGEN RELEASES -- too many to count.

VIDEOS
Live @ Kerrytown Concert Hall in Ann Arbor, 2010.

Contact Ben Miller at info@benmiller.info

© 2011 Ben Miller

Website by Orin Buck