Christian Müller, born in 1971 near Basel, Switzerland, is clarinettist and electronic-musician. He completed his classical studies at the Conservatory for Music & Theater Berne in 1996 with a teacher’s diploma and in 1998 with a Reifediplom (Master).
During the last twenty years Christian Müller worked mainly as improvising electronic-musician, electro-acoustic bass-clarinettist and composer with a conceptual approach. He realized numerous works with the duo Strøm (with Gaudenz Badrutt, electronics, since 2000) and also in national and international projects. As member of Strøm and as a solo musician he created several sound installations and audiovisual pieces and also worked in multimedia-based contexts with dancers and performers. Since 2010 he works with the writer Regina Dürig as Butterland, an interdisciplinary project that combines text and sound. Furthermore he works continously in various contexts and in various bands like DEER, IMO, Convulsif or Infest.
He collaborates and has collaborated in diverse constallations for concerts and multimedia-based works, a. o. with the musicians Martin Schütz, Hans Koch, Christian Kobi, Tomas Korber, Diatribes, Jonas Kocher, Bertrand Denzler, Jacques Demierre, Burkhard Beins, Clayton Thomas, Oren Ambarchi, Bertrand Gauguet, Michel Doneda, Flo Götte, Norbert Möslang, Günter Müller, FM Einheit, toktek, Simon Berz, Peter Conradin Zumthor, Julian Sartorius, Lionel Friedli, Lê Ninh Quan, Mitsuaki Matsumoto, Urs Peter Schneider, dieb13, Susanna Gartmayer, Patricia Bosshard, Loïc Grobéty, Yan Jun, Yan Yulong, Cristián Alvear, Sergio Merce, Loenel Kaplan, Gabrieal Areal, Federico Barabino, Fernando Perales, Ilia Belorukov, Alexei Borisov, Boris Shershenkov, John Edwards, Camille Emaille, Jean-Philipp Gross, Jean-Luc Guionnet, Christoph Kurzmann, Kurt Liedwart, Franz Loriot, Lê Quan Ninh, Jérôme Noettinger, Hannah Marshall, Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø, Derek Shirley, Strotter Inst., Michael Thieke, Pat Thomas, Charlotte Keeffe, Irena Tomasžin, Alfred Zimmerlin, …
Solo and as member of Strøm, DEER and Convulsif he toured through northern, central and eastern Europe, Russia, China, Chile and Argentina.
He was invited to play at serveral festivals a.o. at Kilbi Bad Bonn 2021, Les Jardins Musiceaux 2021, Hors Normes 2018 & 2017, Berner Musikfestival 2017, Freistival Freiburg 2017, Noise Fest SAS Delémont 2017, Spinafest St.Petersburg 2016, Festival Les Nuits du Beau Tas Bruxelles 2016, Zasavje Noisefest International Trbovlje 2016, «Drei Tage Strom» (IGNM & Musikpodium) Zürich 2015, IOIC-MARATHON 2015, Neue Musik Markt Bern 2015, Akouphène Genf 2014, Sonic Mountains – Swiss Noise & Sound Culture Bern 2014, Noches de los Muertos Wien 2012, Remake Belgrad 2012, «Zwei Tage Zeit» (IGNM ZH, WIM & Musikpodium) Zürich 2012, IOIC-MARATHON 2012, «Lange Nacht der elektronischen Musik» (Dampfzentrale Bern) 2011, Transmediale Berlin 2009, Zoom-In Bern 2008, Rue du Nord Lausanne 2008, Schweizer Tonkünstlerfest Zürich 2007, Taktlos/Tonart Bern 2006, Norberg Festival (Schweden) 2006, Ear We Are Biel 1999 & 2001.
As Member of the IOIC-Impro-Collective he was 2012 on tour in China and 2013 guest in the supporting program of Art Basel, Hongkong.
Since 2002 he composes regularly music for theater/dance productions a. o. for the Vienna based compagnie NadaProductions («Climatic Dance», «Danza y Frontera», «The Jaguar and the Snake», «The Forest Of Mirrors», «Dance & Resistance» & «WAR») and in the team of the director Barbara-David Brüesch a.o. at Staatstheater Stuttgart (D), Schauspielhaus Wien (A), Staatsschauspiel Dresden (D), Staatstheater Mainz (D), Schauspielhaus Graz (A), Stadttheater Bern (CH), Basler Theater (CH), Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich (CH).
He has collaborated with non-musical-artists (performancers, dancers, authors, visual artists) like Daniel Zimmermann, Amanda Piña, Alexandra Mabes, Nicolás Spencer, Haus am Gern, Verena Lafargue, Katharina Vogel, Heike Fiedler, Philipp Boë …
Several grants, residencies & prices, a.o. 2021 Kulturpreis der Stadt Biel/Bienne for Strøm, 2021 four month residency in London by Ladis & Gyr, 2019 Ici & Ailleurs – Bourse der Commission francophone chargée des affaires culturelles générales (CFACG) des Kantons Bern for the project Rencontrer l’autre by Butterland with the frensh philosopher and linguiste Luce Irigaray, 2019 three month studio residency by Pro Helvetia, 2017 residency with Butterland in East Village, NYC, 2015 a residency for composition by STV/ASM in Casa Pantrova Carona, 2015 residency with Butterland in Halka Art Projekt Istanbul, 2016 & 2013 residency with Butterland in Herhusid in Siglufjördur Iceland, 2014 «Childhood Stories» by Butterland wins the prize of the jury for the best experimental piece at sonOhr Hörfestival, 2010 commission for composition «Musik & Tanz» by Pro Helvetia, 2009 grant for composition by SSA, 2006 residency with Strøm on Lofoten Islands, 2004 with Strøm first price at the concours de reding by STV, 2002 reward «coup de coeur» by the committee for music of the Kanton Bern.
Several substantial financial supports by the city of biel and the canton of bern for works by as solo musician, by Strøm and by Butterland. Several financial supports by Pro Helvetia for tours and concerts as solo musician, the duo Butterland, for his bands Strøm, DEER, Convulsif and for the duo Christian Kobi – Christian Müller.
Additionally to his music, Christian Müller regularly organizes concerts and festivals, among them the festival Ear We Are, an international festival for improvised music in Biel, Switzerland. He also curates the label deszpot, a place for outer limits and experimental works.
Christian Müller lives as a freelance musician in Biel, Switzerland.