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Benjamin Rush Miller: HistoryContact Ben Miller at info@benmiller.info From 1969 to 1971 (Ann Arbor, Michigan), Ben played guitar in Sproton Layer, a psychedelic rock quartet with brothers' Roger (Mission Of Burma, Binary System, Alloy Orchestra) and Laurence (Destroy All Monsters, Larynx Zillion's Novelty Shop, Mr. Laurence). With all band members still in High School, Sproton Layer opened up for both Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen and Carnal Kitchen (with sax player Andy Mackay). "With "With Magetic Fields Disrupted" was recorded in 1970 and initially released on New Alliance Records in 1992. The group was described as "Syd Barrett fronting Cream" in the book Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azzarad. This obscure recording has been remastered and will be re-released this year (2011) on the German label WORLD OF SOUND with a 20+ page fold-out. In 1974 while attending an art school in Michigan, the Miller brothers formed The Fourth World Quartet with Jack Waterstone; Piano, Bass Clarinet, Saxophones and electric guitar - a blend of 20th Century composition and free improvisation. The following year, Roger left and was replaced by composer/pianist Denman Maroney. From 1976-78, Empool, led by twin brother Laurence, was a creative workshop ensemble that seemed to be in a constant state of transformation. A website and CD release is imminent. Also in 1976, Ben and Lar joined up with Cary Loren's Destroy All Monsters. In 1977, as Destroy All Monsters' second incarnation, Ron Asheton (The Stooges) and Michael Davis (The MC5) joined the party, and for the next two years this Ann Arbor/Detroit based punk band pumped out a haphazard wall of sound opening up for Sonic Rendezvous, Pere Ubu, The Ramones, Devo, Lydia Lunch, Suicide, The Romantics, The Stranglers, and others. Lar and Ben left the band late 1978 due to creative differences. The band continued as a quartet until 1985. In the mid-Nineties, the original line-up (Cary, Niagara, Mike Kelly and Jim Shaw) began performing again. Ben's Destroy All Monsters interview Apr. 2004 "While not as well known as the Stooges or the MC5, Destroy All Monsters were another Ann Arbor band whose influence far outstretched its life as an active band. Combining art punk, free jazz, garge rock and lead singer Niagara's histrionics, Destroy All Monsters were the hidden link between the Velvet Underground and no-wave bands like Sonic Youth." In the early '80s, Ben and Laurence formed many Ann Arbor avant rock bands; The Same Band , The Other Band , Low Income Zone, Radio Silence, and Nonfiction with various cassette releases. Nonficion, the most well known of these, opened up for The Replacements, Lydia Lunch, Mission of Burma and others. Their 1984 release "Walking Sideways, Talking Backwards" included Ben's arrangement of Laurie Anderson's O-Superman! Nonfiction disbanded in 1985. In 1982, Ben formed God Knows Who with Robert Currie as a seven-piece garage artrock band with two rhythm sections. Its members came and went as did its creative focus. In 1985, GKW disbanded and reformed as a duet basing their sound more on minimalism concentrating on prepared guitars, stereo tape loops, analog synths, and other outmoded technologies during the decade's rise of digital fanaticism. They played infrequently with little regard to audience attendance. In 1991, actors/directors Linda Kendall and Peter Knox joined up honing a performance art sensibility until their final performance at the Ann Arbor 16mm Film Festival in 1994. GKW's highlights were several performances at the Ann Arbor 16mm Film Festival, presenting workshops on collaboration at Columbia College Chicago and a performance art weekend gig at Focus Gallery, Detroit juried by Laurie Anderson. GKW produced six cassette releases. A CD Box Set is in consideration. M3 is a recording-only project with Miller brothers Laurence, Roger and Ben. Being that no brother lives in the same state, this long-distance collaboration is infrequent at best. Ben played prepared stereo guitar for Chicago's Dirty Old Man River from 1997 through 2000, and can be heard on both The Saddest Movie Screen and Ageless. Ben Miller/degeneration , has been performing since 2000. This solo set-up features Ben’s multiphonic guitar breaking down sound to its lowest common denominator. Thirdborder's newest CD (Feb. 2010) RETURN RETURN can be purchased at CDBaby either virtually or as a CD proper. This 11-song CD also includes Laurie Anderson's "O-Superman!" Their acclaimed 2006 CD "Sun of Water, Sea of Light" (Radial Records) that includes Syd Barrett's "Jugband Blues" is on sale at CDBaby and Amazon.com and this website. |
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