Günter Müller
Encyclopedia
Günter Müller is an Swiss
composer
, improviser and visual artist based in Lupsingen
, Switzerland
.
Günter Müller is a German sound artist
that originally performed as a percussionist and drummer
active primarily in free improvisation
.
Müller was born in München, Germany
in 1954 on October 20 but has lived in Switzerland
since 1966.
Originally a drummer in various jazz
enembles, Müller grew interested in free improvisation
and began utilizing various extended technique
s. He used contact microphone
s to amplify his drum set, and has incorporated various electronic effects, sometimes using an iPod
or minidisk recorder to loop or otherwise process his performances. Increasingly since about 2000 Müller has emphasized electronics, sometimes entirely forgoing percussion. Critic Brian Olewnick describes him as "one of the most fascinating collaborators in contemporary improvised music [...] tending to create subtly modulated sounds of an almost palliative nature; often with an elastically liquid rhythmic sense."[]
Müller was a founding member of the groups Nachtluft, poire z
and Taste Tribes, and has collaborated with Gastr Del Sol
, Christian Marclay
, Keith Rowe
, Voice Crack
, Alfred Harth
and others. He founded the record label
for4ears.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, improviser and visual artist based in Lupsingen
Lupsingen
Lupsingen is a municipality in the district of Liestal in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.-Geography:Lupsingen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 40.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 44.6% is forested...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Günter Müller is a German sound artist
Sound art
Sound art is a diverse group of art practices that considers wide notions of sound, listening and hearing as its predominant focus. There are often distinct relationships forged between the visual and aural domains of art and perception by sound artists....
that originally performed as a percussionist and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
active primarily in free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
.
Müller was born in München, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1954 on October 20 but has lived in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
since 1966.
Originally a drummer in various jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
enembles, Müller grew interested in free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
and began utilizing various extended technique
Extended technique
Extended techniques are performance techniques used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments to obtain unusual sounds or instrumental timbres....
s. He used contact microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
s to amplify his drum set, and has incorporated various electronic effects, sometimes using an iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
or minidisk recorder to loop or otherwise process his performances. Increasingly since about 2000 Müller has emphasized electronics, sometimes entirely forgoing percussion. Critic Brian Olewnick describes him as "one of the most fascinating collaborators in contemporary improvised music [...] tending to create subtly modulated sounds of an almost palliative nature; often with an elastically liquid rhythmic sense."[]
Müller was a founding member of the groups Nachtluft, poire z
Poire z
poire_z was an electronic free improvisation music group formed in 1998. The group's members all have long careers in improvised music; critic Fred Grand of Avant calls poire_z a "post-AMM supergroup."-Band history:...
and Taste Tribes, and has collaborated with Gastr Del Sol
Gastr del Sol
Gastr del Sol was a Chicago band consisting, for most of their career, of David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke. Between 1993 and 1998 they put out seven albums ranging in genre from post-rock to musique concrète....
, Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay is a Swiss-American visual artist and composer.Marclay's work explores connections between sound, noise, photography, video, and film...
, Keith Rowe
Keith Rowe
Keith Rowe is an English free improvisation tabletop guitarist and painter. Rowe is a founding member of both the hugely influential AMM in the mid-1960s and M.I.M.E.O. Having trained as a visual artist, Rowe's paintings have been featured on most of his own albums...
, Voice Crack
Voice Crack
Voice Crack was a Swiss electronic free improvisation group. Formed in late 1972 by Andy Guhl and Norbert Möslang, Voice Crack were initially a free jazz duo...
, Alfred Harth
Alfred Harth
Alfred 23 Harth is a German multimedia artist, band leader, multi-instrumentalist musician, and composer who mixes genres in a polystylistic manner...
and others. He founded the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
for4ears.