Every now and then, everything we know as true is turned over on its head. What we accept as reality is challenged, and a new vision emerges.
For musician Paul Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky, the time is certainly ripe for this to happen again. Miller, who is changing the way human beings understand music, will bring his vision to the University today.
In his mind, there are no longer any restrictions on what can be done with sound.
“The only limits are that people have so many rules about what styles you can mix and whatnot,” Miller said. “I’m just trying to get people to be more open with what they listen to.”
To accomplish this, Miller takes on many roles, such as writer, producer, director and artist. The most important role, however, is as disc jockey. When Miller took on the world-renowned “DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid” moniker, he chose the turntables as his primary tool of sound transformation.
“They can play any other instrument, and basically it’s all about being able to have the turntable be anything — sound, image, DVD scratch. The turntable is the origin point for all of this,” Miller said.
With his turntables, Miller can create almost any atmosphere, mood or vibe in any given setting. Unlike a radio or wedding DJ, he doesn’t just mix recorded songs back-to-back. He also creates his own songs and music using borrowed loops, phrases, beats and sounds he finds on records.
When considering other “DJs” such as Puff Daddy — who in the past has put hip-hop beats to old Police songs — Miller plays his turntables with a jazz aesthetic.
“It’s all about intuition, and basically that means being open to whatever happens when you drop the needle on the vinyl,” Miller said. “Basically it’s all an open situation, and that’s what makes things fun.”
Others debate what can or cannot be done as a DJ. For example, singer and spoken-word poet Henry Rollins once said a DJ is nothing more than a record-player operator. But some disagree.
Matthew Howe, who hosts the radio show “Artificial Intelligence” on KWVA and will open for DJ Spooky, said the possibilities of a DJ’s mix are limited only by his or her understanding of the world and the records used.
“Generally, the purpose of a DJ is to manipulate a certain ambiance in a room or to affect the general feeling and disposition of a group of people,” Howe said. “This can go in any direction — from impressing an audience with your skill or selection for the pure value of making sure that everyone has a good time, to very subtly integrating political and social messages into the mix to create a sense of seriousness or urgency.”
This manipulation and recreation of sound can take on many forms and is not simply relegated to music. Miller has applied his mixing techniques to the visual arts, and remixed D.W. Griffith’s infamous film “Birth of a Nation.”
“It’s all going to be visual,” Miller said. “Everyone is now a DJ, but the real deal will be the whole issue of visual culture in general, (when) DJ becomes VJ. That’s what’s happening.”
Miller said his lecture will discuss how to make art from patterns in culture and will include material from his new book “Rhythm Science.”
Local group Botox — which has an instrumentation comprised of drums, bass, turntables, saxophones and a theremin — will also open for DJ Spooky. Theremin/saxophone player Shawn Mediaclast said the group follows the aesthetic Miller has created, and recalled seeing him several years ago.
“He was mixing lots of records — like Mickey Mouse music with John Coltrane and Sun Ra,” he said. “He was defying how music is all put in genres. It was like, take the records and throw ’em out the window.”
Among his accomplishments, the 26-year old Miller earned B.A.s in philosophy and French literature from Bowdoin College, and is recognized as a founder of the “Illbient” music genre, which he has described as “indescribable.” He is currently creating a new magazine called “21C” and is at work on another novel entitled “Flow My Blood the DJ Said.” Since 1996, he has been involved in more than 100 musical releases, including albums, singles, remixes, soundtracks and film scores. These projects include collaborations with an eclectic array of artists such as Saul Williams, Sonic Youth, Killa Priest, Meat Beat Manifesto and Korn.
Thanks to this breadth of work, DJ Spooky said he’s having a good time.
“Music should be fun, and that’s what my material is all about. If it ain’t fun, don’t mess with it!” he said.
Miller’s lecture on DJ culture will be held Thursday in 182 Lillis at 2:30 p.m. He will perform Thursday evening at WOW Hall, located at 291 W. 8th Ave.. Tickets are $6 in advance for University students and $12 for the public; at the door, tickets are $8 for students and $14 for the public. Doors open at 8 p.m.; the show begins at 8:30 p.m.