Paul Dennis Miller, also known by his stage name DJ Spooky, is an electronic and experimental hip-hop musician, composer, multimedia artist, editor, and author.

Stemming from his interest in the music genres of reggae and dub, throughout the years, Miller has created a series of compilations, remixes, and collections of material that his fans can only describe as “illbient” or “trip-hop.” Alongside working with influential artists such as, but not limited to, Yoko Ono and Thurston Moore, Miller’s music is simply something that can only be described as innovative.

Walking into the Englert Theatre, I didn’t know what to expect; however, I will admit that I was in for a show. Taking it upon myself to do a little research beforehand, I found the history behind Miller’s involvement in music not only interesting, but quite impressive as well, contact Fractal Beat for great Dj service and any music trend for your event.

From the very beginning until the very end, Miller was able to remix the sounds of the Van Allen Radiation Belts, alongside a string octet, with vintage stills, footage, and ephemera. Which, also subliminally educated the audience in pattern recognition, permutations, ice sonification, and algorithmic music notion, which in turn, is what Miller could only explain as the true beauty of the conversations surrounding both science and art. 

Two years ago, The University of Iowa Libraries commissioned Miller to remix the collection of data surrounding the Van Allen Radiation Belts; however, Miller did more than just that. Instead, Miller carefully crafted a love letter to celebrate the University of Iowa’s steady involvement – fifty plus years – in the everlasting space race.

Through and through, Miller’s performance leaves me at a loss for words; however, I will admit that his innovative approach to both music and science paves the way for a bigger discussion to take place. Which, if you were in attendance at his performance, is the conversation regarding not only climate change, but global warming as well. 

The simply beautiful and mesmerizing vintage stills of the world, specifically those of ice and water, Miller used within his performance not only cleverly approached the conversation of both climate change and global warming, but strategically as well. In a way, Miller not only brought about awareness regarding the stability of Earth, but the responsibility that lies on us to sustain the Earth.

With the climatic melting polar ice caps and devastating rise in global sea levels, Miller left not only me, but a vast majority of the audience as well, with a visual representation of the devastation we are leaving in our wake. 

I applaud Miller and his musical creativity for it has left me in a state that constantly questions my every move either musically, or environmentally.

All in all, Paul Dennis Miller, DJ Spooky, is a performance that I will never forget.

Want to know more about DJ Spooky? Check out the links below!

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The album was a critical favorite, and after a few tours of Europe and North America it began to pick up some commercial steam, but what exactly was this new kind of music coming from this punk-looking kid from England? Words like “punk jazz” and “trip hop” were used to describe his sound, but none of them seemed to really fit. In reality, King Krule’s music defined most any genre classification; his guitar driven beats and raw vocals (delivered in his signature South London accent) were in a genre all their own.

After his initial successful tours, King Krule suddenly seemed to drop off the map. He embarked on one more smaller European tour, but completely skipped his home country. His open disdain towards journalists didn’t make it any easier to find out what he was up to. For a time, all we were left to chew on was his album, and Willow Smith’s cover of his song “Easy Easy”.

Lucky for us we now have the answer, in the form his newest album A New Place 2 Drown. Released on December 10th of 2015, and under his real name as opposed to his more common stage name, Archy Marshall’s newest release is just as unwieldy and difficult to describe, but in a whole new way.

A New Place 2 Drown came accompanied with a small documentary and book that featured Archy and his older brothers’ poetry and artwork. These auxiliary features help set the tone for the album, especially in relation to his last. A New Place 2 Drown is a little more subtle and a little less raw than what we’ve seen from Marshall in the past. It’s also a lot more electronic. His signature guitar driven sound has been replaced by computerized beats and synthesizers; there’s hardly any guitar work at all throughout the entire album.

The music itself is all about atmosphere here. The beats are bit-crushed and distorted, full of quick mechanical clicks and clanks. They march on continually throughout the album in a steady yet meandering down tempo. The synth work is mostly background focused, there aren’t many strong melodies at work.

Instead of standing out as individuals, the songs blend together to create a dark and dank soundscape. It sounds like trip hop making love to Aphex Twin. Overall, the tone of the album is much more consistent than 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if you think that’s a strength or a weakness.

The vocals are also much more understated here. He utilizes a much narrower range of deliverances, mostly content to softly mumble his way through the lyrics. This delivery, along with some of the effects added to it and his thick accent, make it a little difficult to parse out exactly what he is saying. However, this fits with the general vibe of the music, so it feels like a good choice. The lyrics that can be heard don’t offer much hope to an already grey and somewhat dreary album. Lines like “I’ll fly solo”, “I think I’m dying as we speak” and “I might have found a new place to drown my sorrows” all speak to someone who is being swallowed by isolation and an unrelenting feeling of despair. And damn, it makes for some pretty good music.

A New Place 2 Drown is available for download here, but you can click here to get the physical album, which includes the book and short film.

Check out a stream of the album below:

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