About
PBK has been working in the areas of noise, ambient and electroacoustic music since 1986. PBK is an acronym for Phillip B. Klingler, born in 1960 in Flint, Michigan. In the early '80s Klingler studied art at Northern Michigan University and CSU San Bernardino. He exhibited his expressionistic paintings in the Los Angeles area and was active on the international mail-art scene. His visual art was profiled in Aug. 2009 in Jonathan Canady's blog, Colors Of The Dark.
In the mid-80s, Klingler began experimenting with sound, creating abstract music that related to what he had been doing with visual art: "I started to experiment with sound around 1986, but before that I was mainly preoccupied with visual arts theories. My interest in "gesture" and "subconscious" correlated to Surrealism (automatism) and Abstract Expressionism (spontaneous expression & improvisation) and I was motivated to apply these thoughts towards sound expression at least partially because of the ability of some sound-types to bypass association and origin. Abstraction was also possibly leading me towards this new solution, the world of noise."(IEM Interview, 2001)
In 1987, PBK began collaborating with tape underground legend, Minoy. Their prolific collaboration began with the Disco Splendor project, led to several Minoy/PBK releases and culminated in PBK's first official solo album, "", which featured contributions from both Minoy and analog synthesist, David Prescott. PBK released many albums between 1988 and 1990, appeared on numerous compilations and was reviewed extensively, and favorably, in the international underground press. As a prominent figure in the U.S. noise underground, he collaborated, during this time, with such artists as Asmus Tietchens, Jeph Jerman (Hands To), Dirk Serries (Vidna Obmana), Illusion Of Safety and many others.
In 1992, PBK's first solo cd, "" was released on the ND label. Two years later ND also released "". A four-year stay in Puerto Rico, from 1992-96, resulted in deeper isolationist experiments. Using turntable manipulation and an extreme approach to midi-sequencer programming, PBK created an early form of glitch best exemplified by the album, "". Two projects were released on the RRRecords label, a 3-LP boxset titled "" and a cd which featured PBK's collaborative works with AMK and Jeph Jerman. "" was recorded during this time also, and featured collaborations with AMK, Brian Ladd, Deaf Lions, Jarboe (Swans), Jeph Jerman and an un-credited Vidna Obmana. (Vidna Obmana, who mastered the album, insisted his name be removed from the credits on the track in question, "Cabalistic Personage," resulting in a falling out between the two artists.) In 1996, PBK appeared at the 2nd Annual Experiences Festival in Paris, France performing on the same stage as Con Demek, Schimpfluch-Gruppe, Toy Bizarre and others.
Klingler moved back to the U.S. in 1996, returning to take up residence in his childhood home of Flint, Michigan. The late 90's found PBK utilizing a broad improvisational context in live performance and expanding collaboratively into hip hop, free jazz and metal genres. In a 2001 interview PBK stated: "I found out over the last five years what it means to be an improvising musician... How I must be prepared to spontaneously interact within a musical structure in a meaningful way."(IEM Interview, 2001) In the late '90s he worked on two albums, "" and "," both albums influenced by his interest in electronica and also by his personal use of psychedelics. He collaborated with Artemiy Artemiev, Slavek Kwi (Artificial Memory Trace) and Yasutoshi Yoshida (Government Alpha). His collaborations with Artemiev, "" (2000) and "" (2002), won critical praise, receiving extensive radio airplay and landing in the Top 50 of the U.S. new age charts.
In the 2000s, PBK has continued to expand his concept while remaining uncompromising in his approach to sound. His work has been discovered by the younger generation of experimental artists and he has collaborated with such musicians as Ben Brucato (Clew Of Theseus), Brent Gutzeit (TV Pow), C. Reider, Telepherique, Wolf Eyes and many others. In 2004 PBK toured the eastern U.S. with Government Alpha and in 2005 he toured the midwest with De Fenestra. Recently he has been working with independent filmmakers, contributing sound cues for the Detroit area horror series, Lee Martin's "The Midnight Hour", Hart D. Fisher's "Flowers On The Razorwire" and director Joe LiTrenta's film adaptation of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain".
In the mid-80s, Klingler began experimenting with sound, creating abstract music that related to what he had been doing with visual art: "I started to experiment with sound around 1986, but before that I was mainly preoccupied with visual arts theories. My interest in "gesture" and "subconscious" correlated to Surrealism (automatism) and Abstract Expressionism (spontaneous expression & improvisation) and I was motivated to apply these thoughts towards sound expression at least partially because of the ability of some sound-types to bypass association and origin. Abstraction was also possibly leading me towards this new solution, the world of noise."(IEM Interview, 2001)
In 1987, PBK began collaborating with tape underground legend, Minoy. Their prolific collaboration began with the Disco Splendor project, led to several Minoy/PBK releases and culminated in PBK's first official solo album, "", which featured contributions from both Minoy and analog synthesist, David Prescott. PBK released many albums between 1988 and 1990, appeared on numerous compilations and was reviewed extensively, and favorably, in the international underground press. As a prominent figure in the U.S. noise underground, he collaborated, during this time, with such artists as Asmus Tietchens, Jeph Jerman (Hands To), Dirk Serries (Vidna Obmana), Illusion Of Safety and many others.
In 1992, PBK's first solo cd, "" was released on the ND label. Two years later ND also released "". A four-year stay in Puerto Rico, from 1992-96, resulted in deeper isolationist experiments. Using turntable manipulation and an extreme approach to midi-sequencer programming, PBK created an early form of glitch best exemplified by the album, "". Two projects were released on the RRRecords label, a 3-LP boxset titled "" and a cd which featured PBK's collaborative works with AMK and Jeph Jerman. "" was recorded during this time also, and featured collaborations with AMK, Brian Ladd, Deaf Lions, Jarboe (Swans), Jeph Jerman and an un-credited Vidna Obmana. (Vidna Obmana, who mastered the album, insisted his name be removed from the credits on the track in question, "Cabalistic Personage," resulting in a falling out between the two artists.) In 1996, PBK appeared at the 2nd Annual Experiences Festival in Paris, France performing on the same stage as Con Demek, Schimpfluch-Gruppe, Toy Bizarre and others.
Klingler moved back to the U.S. in 1996, returning to take up residence in his childhood home of Flint, Michigan. The late 90's found PBK utilizing a broad improvisational context in live performance and expanding collaboratively into hip hop, free jazz and metal genres. In a 2001 interview PBK stated: "I found out over the last five years what it means to be an improvising musician... How I must be prepared to spontaneously interact within a musical structure in a meaningful way."(IEM Interview, 2001) In the late '90s he worked on two albums, "" and "," both albums influenced by his interest in electronica and also by his personal use of psychedelics. He collaborated with Artemiy Artemiev, Slavek Kwi (Artificial Memory Trace) and Yasutoshi Yoshida (Government Alpha). His collaborations with Artemiev, "" (2000) and "" (2002), won critical praise, receiving extensive radio airplay and landing in the Top 50 of the U.S. new age charts.
In the 2000s, PBK has continued to expand his concept while remaining uncompromising in his approach to sound. His work has been discovered by the younger generation of experimental artists and he has collaborated with such musicians as Ben Brucato (Clew Of Theseus), Brent Gutzeit (TV Pow), C. Reider, Telepherique, Wolf Eyes and many others. In 2004 PBK toured the eastern U.S. with Government Alpha and in 2005 he toured the midwest with De Fenestra. Recently he has been working with independent filmmakers, contributing sound cues for the Detroit area horror series, Lee Martin's "The Midnight Hour", Hart D. Fisher's "Flowers On The Razorwire" and director Joe LiTrenta's film adaptation of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain".
Also known as
Discography
355 releasesPBK / RDKPL
PBK / RDKPL* · 2026
An Assembly Of Observing Micro Thunder
P.O.V. (3) / PBK / S_B_B / Theo Nugraha* · 2026
Cartology Of Shadows
Nigel Ayers, PBK, Kirk Wilson, Allan Zane · 2026
Amplitude Split
Dirk Serries & PBK · 2026
She Thinks She's The State Department
PBK & HS* · 2025
Soul Under Stress
PBK · 2024
The Channel That Feeds
PBK · 2023
Chain Letter Exhortation Series #4 (Allan Zane Mix)
Allan Zane, Big City Orchestra, PBK · 2023
Sum & Substance (Phillip Klampe Mix)
PBK, Nu A.M., Homogenized Terrestrials · 2023
A Season In Hell (Andrew Quitter Mix)
PBK, Minóy, Andrew Quitter · 2023
This Home Stands On Ancient Bones
Nigel Ayers, PBK, Allan Zane · 2023
One Slashed Winter After Another
Mystery Hearsay, PBK, Zanstones · 2023
Ziz
PBK, Das Synthetische Mischgewebe · 2023
Nova
PBK · 2022
The Forces We Face
PBK · 2022
Myth Of The Child Eaters
PBK, Animal Machine · 2022
Chain Letter Exhortation Series #4
Shaun Robert, Allan Zane, Big City Orchestra, PBK · 2022
We Pass Through Each Other In Dreaming
Pool Pervert*, Pharmakustik, Anla Courtis, PBK · 2022
Lost Worlds
PBK, Gates Of Janus, Instinct Primal, Artificial Memory Trace · 2022
Erosion Of The Monolith
PBK + Nocturnal Emissions · 2022
Monument Of Empty Colours + Depression And Ideal
Vidna Obmana & PBK · 2022
And the Angels Wept Upon Descent
Tissa Mawartyassari, PBK · 2021
The Dead Time
PBK & Modelbau · 2021
Sum & Substance
PBK, Nu A.M., Homogenized Terrestrials, Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain · 2021
A Season In Hell
PBK, Minóy, Andrew Quitter, Don Campau · 2021
Controlled Flight Into Terrain
PBK & C. Reider · 2021
State Of Flux / Play Loud
PBK · 2021
Disquietude In Shouting Tomorrows
PBK, Richard Ramirez & A Week Of Kindness · 2021
Split Tape
PBK + Pool Perverts / Brent Gutzeit · 2020
1990
PBK · 2020
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