Enter Jon Mueller’s mammoth new solo percussion work, Physical Changes. If his previous solo effort Metals was about pummeling rhythms and frequencies, Physical Changes drives the whole idea into oblivion, as the sounds here are something to be felt as much as heard. Joined by the intense propulsion of James Plotkin (Khanate, Khlyst, Phantomsmasher), the textural chaos of Fred Lonberg-Holm (Wilco, Peter Brotzmann Tentet, Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band), the computer meltdown of Marcus Schmickler (Pluramon), the surreal precision of Dan Burke (Illusion of Safety), the glorious flight of Jim Schoenecker (Collections of Colonies of Bees) and the stunning landscape film work of David Dinnell, Physical Changes takes the idea of ‘heavy rhythm’ and spreads it out over an elaborate, all-inclusive three format (LP/CD/DVD) release that reveals how complex and diverse heavy rhythm can actually be. From the pounding, raw country minimalism of “Nothing Changes,” to the brutally intense onslaught of “Things Will Not Stay the Way They Are,” Mueller takes the fundamental concepts of rhythm and percussion, those primal devices, and turns them into an entirely new experience that’s heard, seen, and felt. Come experience it for yourself.
Jon Mueller has been an active drummer and percussionist since the mid-80s. Whether utilizing bombastic minimalism, dense interplay, or electroacoustic practices, his approach focuses on a physical dialog between situation and material. He has performed throughout the U.S., Japan, and Europe, works regularly with the group Collections of Colonies of Bees, and has performed or recorded with members of the groups Swans, Wilco, Bon Iver, Rhys Chatham’s Guitar Trio, and many others.
Jon Mueller: Physical Changes DVD excerpt 2 from rhythmplex on Vimeo.
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