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Jon Mueller (born 1970 in
Waukesha, Wisconsin Waukesha ( ) is the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha. History The area tha ...
) is an American percussionist and composer, active in experimental and rock disciplines.


Early life and education

Jon Mueller was introduced to music through his parents, and began taking guitar and piano lessons at an early age. After quitting both, he became interested in the drums after his friend inherited a drumset. The instrument appealed to him due to its focus away from melody. In an interview with Natasha Pickowicz, Mueller stated, "Hitting the drums and cymbals sounded good, no matter the combination." He then began taking snare drum lessons before moving to a full kit. In 1990, he studied with jazz musician
Hal Russell Hal Russell (born Harold Russell Luttenbacher, August 28, 1926 – September 5, 1992) was an American free jazz composer, band leader and multi-instrumentalist who performed mainly on saxophone and drums but occasionally on trumpet or vibrapho ...
while attending Columbia College in Chicago. Mueller graduated in 1995 from
Cardinal Stritch University , mottoeng = To value the better things , established = 1937 ( years ago) , type = Private university , religious_affiliation = Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (Roman Catholic) , endowment ...
in Milwaukee with a bachelor's degree in English. In 2008, he earned his
Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accoun ...
degree.


Career

In the 1990s, he met guitarist Chris Rosenau, with whom he developed a long-time association. Together, they founded the groups Pele and
Collections of Colonies of Bees Collections of Colonies of Bees is an American musical ensemble from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. History Collections of Colonies of Bees was founded by Chris Rosenau and Jon Mueller in 1998, then both members of the band Pele.Volcano Choir Volcano Choir is an American indie rock band from Wisconsin, formed in 2005. It has released two albums, ''Unmap'' and ''Repave.'' History The band began as a collaboration between Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and members of Collections of Colonies ...
with
Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...
's
Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voic ...
. Their debut album ''
Unmap ''Unmap'' is the debut studio album by the indie rock band Volcano Choir. It was recorded in the fall of 2008 in Fall Creek, Wisconsin and released on September 22, 2009 on Jagjaguwar. The album reached #92 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album w ...
'' reached number 92 on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...
chart. He has also worked with a variety of musicians such as
James Plotkin James Plotkin is an American guitarist and producer known for his role in bands such as Khanate and OLD but with an extensive catalogue outside these bands. He has played guitar for Phantomsmasher and Scorn and continues to remix tracks for ban ...
,
Rhys Chatham Rhys Chatham (born September 19, 1952) is an American composer, guitarist, trumpet player, multi-instrumentalist (flutes in C, alto and bass, keyboard), primarily active in avant-garde and minimalism, minimalist music. He is best known for his "g ...
,
Asmus Tietchens Asmus Tietchens (born 3 February 1947, in Hamburg), who also records under the monikers Hematic Sunsets and Club of Rome, is a German composer of avant-garde music. Tietchens became interested in experimental music and musique concrète as a chi ...
,
Z'EV Z'EV (born Stefan Joel Weisser, February 8, 1951 – December 16, 2017) was an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of indust ...
, Jason Kahn,
Marcus Schmickler Marcus Schmickler (born November 15, 1968, in Cologne) is a German composer, musician, and producer. He is also known under the pseudonym Pluramon. Background In 1968 he was born as the son of an industrial salesman and a baker's daughter in C ...
, Bhob Rainey, Jack Wright, and others. In 2003, he began experimenting with vibrating drums on top of speakers. This direction is documented on his ''What's Lost is Something Important'' CD, ''Metals'' CD, ''Physical Changes'' LP/CD/DVD, and ''Alphabet of Movements'' LP. He has performed solo and in various groupings throughout North America, Europe, United Kingdom, and Japan, in venues including
New Museum The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is a museum in New York City at 235 Bowery, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. History The museum originally opened in a space in the Graduate Center of the then-named New Sch ...
(New York),
Arnolfini Arnolfini is an international arts centre and gallery in Bristol, England. It has a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, artist's performance, music and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and cinema. There is also a ...
(Bristol, UK),
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...
, (Montréal, QC),
Issue Project Room The ISSUE Project Room (often shortened to ISSUE) is a music venue in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 2003 by Suzanne Fiol. Located in 110 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn, the venue supports a wide variety of contemporary performance, sp ...
(New York), Guggenheim (New York), and Cafe OTO (London, UK). His solo and collaborative recordings have been released by labels such as
Table of the Elements Table of the Elements is an American record label. It concentrates on re-released and specially recorded experimental music, including many avant-garde musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries: such as John Cale, Tony Conrad, La Monte Young, L ...
,
Polyvinyl Records In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Examples Vinyl polymers ar ...
, Type Recordings, Jagjaguwar, Hometapes, Important Records, Taiga Records, and many others. In 1999, he formed the record label, magazine, and music distribution company Crouton. Crouton published over 40 releases, mostly in limited editions, featuring the work of
The Hafler Trio The Hafler Trio is an English conceptual, performance and sound art collaborative between Andrew M. McKenzie, the only permanent member, and guest sound artists, performers, and/or musicians. The project has seen the release of numerous albu ...
,
Asmus Tietchens Asmus Tietchens (born 3 February 1947, in Hamburg), who also records under the monikers Hematic Sunsets and Club of Rome, is a German composer of avant-garde music. Tietchens became interested in experimental music and musique concrète as a chi ...
,
Daniel Menche Daniel Menche (born December 4, 1969) is an American experimental musician and multidisciplinary artist from Portland, Oregon. Since 1989 he has recorded many albums that are categorized as electro-acoustic, noise music, dark ambient music, abst ...
, Robert Hampson,
Robert Haigh Robert (Herbie) Haigh (born 27 March 1945 in Adelaide, South Australia) is a former hockey player from Australia, a three time olympian who won two Olympic silver medals as a member of the national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Me ...
,
Jarboe Jarboe Devereaux, known mononymously as Jarboe (), is an American singer and musician who came to prominence as a member of the New York City experimental rock band Swans in 1985. Jarboe and Michael Gira, the founder of Swans, were the two consta ...
, , Jason Kahn, Aranos, Alessandro Bosetti, Osso Exotico,
Z'EV Z'EV (born Stefan Joel Weisser, February 8, 1951 – December 16, 2017) was an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of indust ...
, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Pele, and many others, as well as his own releases. Crouton also organized events in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. These were documented by the press and even filmed as part of a PBS documentary (on
Ken Vandermark Ken Vandermark (born September 22, 1964) is an American composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist. A fixture on the Chicago-area music scene since the 1990s, Vandermark has earned wide critical praise for his playing and his multilayered compos ...
). The business closed in 2009. In 2009, he was referred to by
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
as "an audacious ringleader for new music." In 2011, he started his Death Blues project, described by Mueller as, "a multidisciplinary project that addresses the inevitability of death as impetus to become more present in each moment." Performances for the project took place throughout the U.S., including Hopscotch Fest and Alverno Presents. Alverno Presents


Public Speaking

He has spoken to audiences about creativity and new business approaches at The Music Forum: Loyola University (NOLA), WMSE's Radio Summercamp (Milwaukee, WI), Viva! Festival (Montreal),
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...
(Middleton, CT), PRSA (Milwaukee, WI), and MARN (Milwaukee, WI).


Writing

He has written a novella, ''Pianobread'' (1999), a box of short stories, ''Endings'' (2004), and has contributed non-fiction writing and reviews for ChangeThis.com, Pear Noir!, The Shepherd Express,
OnMilwaukee ''OnMilwaukee'' is a digital media company and online magazine that provides lifestyle and culture news about Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in ...
, Amoeba Records Hollywood, and contributed to ''The 100 Best Business Books of All Time'' ( Penguin/Portfolio) by Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten.


Discography


Solo

*Here: An Advanced Study of Death Blues CD, Rhythmplex (US), 2012 *Alphabet of Movements LP, Type Records (UK), 2011 *V/A – Coupling: Dedicated to the Man and Based on the Work of Stan Brakhage CD, Silent Media (US), 2011 *The Whole CD/LP+bonus CD, Type Records (UK), 2010 *Halves cassette, Notice Recordings (US), 2010 *Physical Changes LP/CD/DVD, Radium/Table of the Elements (US), 2009 *Jon Mueller/Gino Robair split – "Dot Feed" track on split 3" CD, Compost and Height (UK), 2009 *Strung 12", Table of the Elements (US), 2008 *Hollow Voices/Singing Hands cassette, Friends and Relatives (US), 2008 *Metals CD, Table of the Elements (US), 2008 *Emerson Hi-Fidelity CD, Autumn Records (US), 2005 *What's Lost Is Something Important. What's Found Is Something Not Revealed. CD, Crouton (US), 2005 *V/A: the audible still-life CD – "Heat", Stasisfield (US), 2003 *V/A: Just Drums CD – "Pop", Fever Pitch (US), 2003 *Solo Percussion For Two – "Beyond the Surface of Actions", Split 7" with Jeph Jerman, No Information Records (US), 2003 *"A Wooden Bicycle" MP3 release, Stassisfield.com (US), 2002 *Folktales No. 2 – "How I Learned To Breathe" 3" CD, Crouton (US), 2001


Collaborations

*Volcano Choir -
Repave ''Repave'' is the second studio album by American indie rock band Volcano Choir, released on September 2, 2013 on Jagjaguwar. Recorded between November 2010 and March 2013, the album is self-produced by the band. Released to critical acclaim, t ...
(2013) *Jon Mueller + James Plotkin – Terminal Velocity 2xLP, Taiga Records (US), 2012 *V/A (Mueller appears with James Plotkin) – Utech Records Music Fest 2xCD, Utech Records/KFJC (US), 2012 *V/A (Mueller appears with Burkhard Beins) – Bridges 2xLP, Machinefabriek (NL), 2011 *John Cage – The Works for Percussion I DVD, Mode Records (US), 2011 *Jon Mueller + Z'EV – HYDratioN LP, Important Records (US), 2010 *Jason Kahn + Jon Mueller – Phase digital release, FSS (US), 2010 *Volcano Choir – Unmap LP/CD, Jagjaguwar (US), 2009 *MOUTHS – 3v1/3v2 CD, Absurd (GR), 2008 *Jon Mueller and Jason Kahn – Topography CD, Xeric/Crouton (US), 2008 *Melissa St. Pierre – Specimens CD, Radium (US), 2008 *Rhys Chatham – Guitar Trio is My Life 3xCD, Radium (US), 2008 *Asmus Tietchens and Jon Mueller – Acht Stücke CD, Auf Abwegen (DE), 2007 *Jeph Jerman and Jon Mueller – Nodes and Anti-Nodes DVD, Crouton (US), 2007 *Tim Catlin/Jon Mueller – Plates and Wires CD, Crouton (US), 2007 *Jon Mueller/Martijn Tellinga – bowl, helicopter CDep, Korm Plastics (NL), 2007 *MOUTHS – 1v2e LP, Entr'acte (UK), 2006 *Jason Kahn/Jon Mueller – Supershells CD, Formed Records (US), 2006 *Werner Moebius/Jon Mueller/Jim Schoenecker – Amalgam CD, Utech Records (US), 2006 *The Portable Quartet – Take The Train CD, Crouton (US), 2005 *Carol Genetti/Jon Mueller/Jack Wright – Nom Tom CD, Spring Garden Music (US), 2005 *Jon Mueller and Kaveh Soofi – Endings book, Crouton (US), 2004 *Jon Mueller and Jim Schoenecker – The Interview CD, Longbox Recordings (US), 2004 *Jason Kahn and Jon Mueller – Papercuts CD, Crouton (US), 2004 *Jon Mueller/Bhob Rainey/Jim Schoenecker – S/T CD, Crouton (US), 2004 *Hat Melter (Hess/Klatt/Mueller/Turner) – Unknown Album LP, Crouton (US), 2003 *Asmus Tietchens/Jon Mueller – 7 Stücke CD, Auf Abwegen (DE), 2003 *Raccoons (Jon Mueller/Hal Rammel/Chris Rosenau) – Mother 2xCD, Crouton (US), 2002 *Aranos/Mueller/Rosenau – Bleeding In Behind Pastel Screens CD, Crouton (US), 2001 *Nelson-Raney, Steve/Jon Mueller – Cutting Off The Edge Of Time CD, Penumbra Music (US), 2001 *Lancaster, Byard Trio – S/T CD, Soutrane Recording Company (US), 2000 *Field Of Sound – S/T CD, Soutrane Recording Company (US), 2000 *Castle Broadway – S/T CD, Soutrane Recording Company (US), 2000 *Raccoons (Jon Mueller/Hal Rammel/Chris Rosenau) – S/T CD– Crouton (US), 2000 *Pianobread – S/T, book/CD box (performed on CD and also wrote novella of the same title in box) Crouton (US), 1999


Collections of Colonies of Bees

*Giving CD/LP, Hometapes (US), 2011 *Giving CD, Contrarede (JP), 2010 *Toe/Collections of Colonies of Bees split CD, Contrarede (JP), 2009 *Impala Eardrums CD/LP, "Athlete," Radium/Table of the Elements (US), 2008 *Six Guitars 12", Table of the Elements (US), 2008 *Birds CD/LP, Radium/Table of the Elements (US), 2008 *Customer CD/LP, Polyvinyl Records (US), 2004, CD on Some of Us (JP), 2004 *Eyebrows CD, Self-released for Japan tour, 2004 *meyou CD, Crouton (US), 2003 *fa.ce (a CD, Crouton (US), 2002 *Rance CD, Crouton (US), 2000 *S/T CD, the Rosewood Union (UK), 1999


Pele

*A Scuttled Bender in a Watery Closet 2xCD, Polyvinyl Record Co. (US), 2009 *Last Show 2xDVD, Contrarede (JP), 2009 *"Drop Attack," Pele/Toe split CD, Dis(ign) Muzyq (JP), 2001, 7" on Polyvinyl Records (US), 2004 *"Cigarette Papers," Toe: Re:designed CD, Catune (JP), 2003 *Enemies CD/LP, Polyvinyl Record Co. (US), 2002 *"Hagoo," Split LP with Rhythm of Black Lines, Sixgunlover Records (US), 2002 *"Five Years in Four Minutes," Sangatsu remix CD, Weather Records (JP), 2001 *"Gas The Nutsy," Re Direction compilation CD, Polyvinyl Record Co. (US), 2001 *The Nudes CD/LP, Polyvinyl Record Co. (US), 2000 *Realize It 12"/CD, Crouton (US), 2000 *"Positive Woman," it goes without saying compilation CD, Sign Language Records (US), 1999 *Elephant CD, Sign Language Records (US), 1999 (also released on Polyvinyl Records (US), 2003) *"Blue Cecil b/w Apiary" 12", the Rosewood Union (UK), 1998 *Emergency Room Egg CD, Crouton (US) + Japan only edition, 1998 *People Living with Animals. Animals Kill People. CD, Star Star Stereo (US), 1998 *Teaching the History of Teaching Geography CD, Star Star Stereo (US), (also released on the Rosewood Union (UK)), 1998


Telecognac

*Memory CD, Crouton (US), 2001 *Over (Jarboe/Telecognac) CD, Crouton (US), 2000 *Flor (Story and 3" CD) Crouton (US), 2000 *"The Possibility Of A Face," Crouton Number Two CD, Crouton (US), 1999 *"Paper weight," Various 500 Lock-Grooves by 500 Artists LP, RRRecords (US), 1998 *"White Christmas," angels we have heard in hi-fi compilation cassette, Molotov Cocktail Recordings (US), 1997 *"Pause Until I Mocket," Existence compilation LP (US), 1997 *S/T CD, Lombardi Recording Company (US), 1997


External links

*
Death Blues

Article in Blurt Magazine



References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mueller, Jon American percussionists American experimental musicians Polyvinyl Record Co. artists 1970 births Living people Volcano Choir members