Donald Miller

"Donald Miller, best known for his work with Borbetomagus, whose creativity and emotional resonance reflects the broad spectrum of aesthetics---all manner of avant garde art, radical philosophies, and indeed, rock 'n' roll---which color his expression ... his is a sustained ... and defiant examination of the noise particles inherent in a magnetic field." --- Cadence

Born in 1958 in Washington, DC, Miller began formal guitar training at age 13, already possessing a strong background in avant garde music. Moving to New York City in 1976, he entered the then-budding American free-improvisation scene with a sense of vengeance. In 1979, he co-founded the volume-obsessed live electronic ensemble Borbetomagus with saxophonists Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich, the context in which his unique guitar approach is best known. Since 1980, Borbetomagus has released over 20 critically acclaimed recordings, mostly on their own Agaric Records label, and has performed many tours of the USA, Canada, Europe, and Japan. This itinerary includes such festivals as Actual Music in London, New Music America in Philadelphia and Cleveland, Musique Action in Nancy, and Festival Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville. They were recently dubbed "amongst the most powerful musical units ever to have rent our planet's surface" by critic Byron Coley in the Spin Alternative Record Guide.

Miller was first introduced to the established team of pianist/composer Michael Schumacher and cellist Charles Curtis in 1988 at a memorial tape concert for Angus MacLise hosted by La Monte Young. They immediately embarked on a series of musical projects, including The Donald Miller Trio. This all-guitar group has released an LP, Here, below, on Klaang Industries, and has performed around New York City and the East Coast since 1995. Miller also has toured and recorded since 1984 with free jazz drummer William Hooker and saxophonist Blaise Siwula in various groups. Other side projects have included Lhasa Cement Plant, which has produced recordings on Warpodisc, Apraxia, and Flydaddy; and Generica, an avant garde cabaret act providing off-beat musical environments for the spoken word rantings of former Bay area saxist and poet 99 Hooker. He has been referred to by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore as "the most crack'd guitarist in the known universe."