Michael A. Muller is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer based in Los Angeles best known for his work with Balmorhea, which he co-founded in 2006.
With influences ranging from 50s jazz to 90s experimental minimalism to 19th century classical compositions, Muller’s music evades trope, embodying a dynamic range of warm nostalgia, ethereal dream states and the spartan contemporary.
His solo debut, Lower River (and accompanying Lower River Reworks), conceptually explores the place where time, space, and self are occluded — a plane of energy where ideas stream without impediment. Merging field recordings with compositions recorded in his home studio, Lower River is a study in engaging with sounds that don’t easily slot into pre-existing notions of what music ought to be; an exploration of what it means to deeply listen versus to merely hear. Originally released in 2019, the tandem Lower River works now see exciting Fall 2023 reissues from the storied Deutsche Grammophon label — complete with new track Glyph III, which features Jonathan Sielaff on bass clarinet and Spencer Zahn on double bass. The Reworks collection includes haunting renditions from artists Alva Noto, Bing & Ruth, Daigo Hanada and more.
Producing and composing from his Elyria Sound studio in Los Angeles, Muller is currently scoring two feature films alongside ongoing commercial and multimedia projects.