Miller Blue

Photo: Frankie Herbert

Name, where are you from?
Miller Blue. I grew up in a small village in the UK called Gobowen. If you know where this is, I rate you highly.

Describe your style in three words?
Honest, Electronic, Soul.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
The first thing that comes to mind is from a few months back. I saw Herbie Hancock play in Barcelona. The guy is 79 and was running around the stage like the absolute legend he is. To see such an energetic and well-executed performance really inspired me, the musicianship was crazy. Nothing like I’d seen prior. However, seeing Flying Lotus’s 3D show while on mushrooms also comes to mind… Such an interesting audio/visual combo.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Japan would be one I think. My dad was a bassist in a band during this new wave romantic era and David Sylvian had a huge influence on his life at this point. I’d love to be able to get inside the heads of the people who inspired him so much.

Sliding the question just a little, I would of loved to have had a part in the recording process of D’angelo’s Voodoo. There’s something so special to me about that record. Front to back, I could listen forever. It sits for so many moods with me too, which is rare. They definitely captured something special here and I would have to loved to be in the room to get a sense for the energies being exchanged.

Which Subcultures have influenced you?
In my teens, I started to skateboard a lot with my friends. There wasn’t much to do in my village so we’d just cruise around doing stupid shit. Then get back and play games like Tony Hawk and Skate. Coupled with our love for hip-hop, this period of my life was one in which for the first time I felt I was a part of something, whatever that was.

Similarly, stemming from a lack of opportunity and things to do, a solid rave scene popped up in the hills of North Wales, a few dozen miles from where I lived. My friends and I would drive up to these abandoned buildings in the middle of nowhere and everyone just had a good time. Sharing energies and just enjoying the moment. There was a big psychedelic community and a real sense of family between friends, this taught me a lot and helped me grow in so many ways.

More recently I’ve been heavily influenced by early jazz, in particular, bebop. I’d listened to a couple of classic jazz albums prior but I remember watching one of my favourite anime series for the first time ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and being blown away by the soundtrack, along with everything else about the series. It helped me to hear jazz in a different light and sparked something in me since me I’ve been listening to all kinds of jazz extensively. Listening, watching shows, documentaries and buying books wherever they seem to pop up.

I feel all of these influences can be heard in different ways throughout my music.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
I feel I cannot answer this fully as there are simply so many. However, the first two that came to mind were Marcus Aurelius and Sun Ra. Both had such interesting outlooks on life and I’d love to just sit there, listen and gain insight.

Of all the venues you’ve been to, which is your favourite?
Honestly, I don’t remember what the place was called, but I saw an Opera somewhere in Liverpool when I was in college and the acoustics were phenomenal. I’d never quite heard live music like that before. It was stunning.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
He has been SUNG but Quincy Jones inspires me endlessly.

Since the release of his debut EP ‘Cotton’ in early 2019, Miller Blue has teamed up with Japanese producer Kan Sano for 'House Of Mine (Sit At The Piano)', which has since made waves being picked up by Japanese Billboard and highly credited all over Japan. Miller is now preparing to release his next body of work ‘Sunflower’ which is set for release in early 2020.