Minimal man
Encyclopedia
Minimal Man was an American
industrial
and experimental rock
project, formed in 1979 in San Francisco, California
. The group was founded and led by Patrick Miller, a visual and sound artist who moved to San Francisco in the late 1970s. The band often changed members featuring at different times members of bands such as Tuxedomoon
, Factrix
and others active in the then thriving San Francisco experimental post punk and industrial scenes. Their cover
of "The Shroud Of" featured one of Miller's signature mask/head paintings.
Minimal Man remained active in San Francisco recording on the Subterranean Records
label till the mid 1980s, after which Miller relocated to Europe, often working with compatriots Tuxedomoon
who had made a similar move previously.
The Minimal Man output ceased after the 1980s, and Miller returned to Los Angeles
, where he worked as a set dresser.
Miller died at his home in Eagle Rock, California, on December 14, 2003.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
and experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
project, formed in 1979 in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The group was founded and led by Patrick Miller, a visual and sound artist who moved to San Francisco in the late 1970s. The band often changed members featuring at different times members of bands such as Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon is an experimental post-punk/New Wave group formed in San Francisco, California, consisting of core members Blaine L. Reininger, Steven Brown and Peter Principle....
, Factrix
Factrix
Factrix was an American pioneering industrial group from San Francisco, formed in 1978 by Bond Bergland, Cole Palme, and Joseph T. Jacobs, and was praised by Carlo McCormick as "one of the great bands of their era, prescient and influential."...
and others active in the then thriving San Francisco experimental post punk and industrial scenes. Their cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "The Shroud Of" featured one of Miller's signature mask/head paintings.
Minimal Man remained active in San Francisco recording on the Subterranean Records
Subterranean Records
Subterranean Records is an independent record label based in San Francisco, California. Founded by Steve Tupper and a then partner, Michael Fox in 1979, it focused on that city's underground punk and industrial music scene....
label till the mid 1980s, after which Miller relocated to Europe, often working with compatriots Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon is an experimental post-punk/New Wave group formed in San Francisco, California, consisting of core members Blaine L. Reininger, Steven Brown and Peter Principle....
who had made a similar move previously.
The Minimal Man output ceased after the 1980s, and Miller returned to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he worked as a set dresser.
Miller died at his home in Eagle Rock, California, on December 14, 2003.
Singles and EPs
- "She Was A Visitor" / "He Who Falls" (Subterranean Records, 1980) - Recorded live at The Deaf Club, San Francisco, on October 9, 1979.
- "Two Little Skeletons" / "Tired Death" (Subterranean Records, 1983)
- Sex Teacher (12" EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (Fundamental Records in US, Play It Again SamPIAS Recordings[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
in Belgium, 1985) - "Mock Honeymoon" (12") (PIAS, 1987)
Albums
- The Shroud Of (Subterranean Records, 1981)
- Safari (CD Presents Ltd., 1984) - Also released in Germany by Good Noise Records in 1985.
- Sex With God (Dossier, 1985)
- Slave Lullabyes (PIAS in Belgium, Fundamental Records in US, 1986)
- Hunger Is All She Has Ever Known (PIAS, 1988)
- Hunger Is All She Has Ever Known / Mock Honeymoon (CD) (PIAS, 1988)
- Pure (LD Records, 1988)
- The Shroud Of (Digitally Remastered CD) (Boutique Records, 2004) - Included five rare bonus tracks.