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, "423931", 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, "312172" was released on the ND label. Two years later ND also released "342934". 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, "423927". Two projects were released on the RRRecords label, a 3-LP boxset titled "838925" and a cd which featured PBK's collaborative works with AMK and Jeph Jerman. "527437" 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, "423933" and "423929," 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, "235631" (2000) and "220071" (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".