Revered in the hip-hop world as a master turntablist, Paul D. Miller — better known by his stage name DJ Spooky — is a sonic artist who hears music in everything from visual forms and economic theory to the great outdoors.
In Arctic Rhythms, which comes to the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State March 23, the composer, author, musician, and 2014 National Geographic Emerging Explorer harnesses his eclectic artistry for an unparalleled portrayal of the polar regions.
“… Miller’s multimedia performances, recordings, art installations, and writings immerse audiences in a blend of genres, raising awareness about climate change, sustainability, global culture, the role of technology in society, and other pressing environmental and social issues,” notes the National Geographic Society Web site.
In 2007 and 2008, Miller undertook two expeditions to Antarctica to shoot a film and create an acoustic portrait of the rapidly changing continent. That led to his celebrated 2011 publication, The Book of Ice, and his 2013 album, Of Water and Ice.
Sponsored by the Sierra Club, Miller traveled to the Arctic Circle in 2014 and came away with the inspiration for another volume of music, Arctic Rhythms.
Accompanied at Eisenhower Auditorium by a Penn State School of Music graduate student string quartet — violinists Gabriella Stout and Michael Divino, violist John Roxburgh, and cellist Liu Pai — he creates an evocative trip through the Arctic landscape. The Arctic Rhythmsstage production juxtaposes images with live and recorded hip-hop, electronic, and minimalist music to create a unique experience.
“Music and art can be vehicles for provoking thought, overcoming inertia, and helping people engage with issues that are exponentially reshaping our information-driven world,” Miller says.
“Talk to … New Yorker Paul D. Miller for too long and you start to feel like a dimwit,” writes a reporter for the Sunday Star Times of Auckland, New Zealand. “This man is as brainy as a Mensa meeting, sharp as Zorro’s sword, funny as Falstaff. He is Einstein with a better haircut, a streetwise black Tolstoy, a revved-up Renaissance man for the digital age, obsessed with art, information, and digital technology.”
Miller has previously collaborated with an array of musicians, including Metallica, Chuck D, Steve Reich, and Yoko Ono.
MIT Press published his award-winning book, Rhythm Science, in 2004. The Village Voice, The Source, and Artforum have featured his writing. He’s also the editor of Origin Magazine.
His installations have appeared in the Whitney Biennial, the Venice Biennial for Architecture, Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, and other museums and galleries throughout the world.
“I was never planning on being a musician,” Miller tells the National Geographic Society. “I was planning on being a diplomat who enjoyed art and technology. Instead, I became an artist/musician who enjoys diplomacy. The irony of it all.”
Sandra Zaremba and Richard Brown sponsor the presentation. The Sidney and Helen S. Friedman Endowment and the William E. McTurk Endowment provide support. The Polar Center at Penn State is a program partner. For more information or tickets, visit cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255.
