Mangled Bohemians was formed in the fall of 2007 by James Lee and Ryan Shoptaw. By combining psychedelic, folk and experimental textures through space guitars and dark ambient synths. In 2008 the duo was invited to  the 14th annual Olympia Experimental Music Festival where they met Ben Robertson and Andrew Senna of Aphonia Recordings, to which they were  quickly signed. This brought forth their first album “Degeneration” in late 2008 followed by a west coast tour allowing them to join such acts as Tunnels (JOMF), Pocahaunted, Sun Araw, Inca Ore, Date Palms, Molino, LA Lungs, Derek M. Johnson and many more.

Shortly after the tour in 2009 FDH  Records released a split record between Mangled Bohemians and Philadelphia psych legends Lunch With Beardo, and the UK label Reverb Worship re-released “Degeneration” bringing a close to the year. 2010  started again with another tour alongside acts such as The Drug  Purse, Lozen, The Why Because, Psychic Reality, Evan Caminiti (Barn Owl) and many more. The year also saw the band releasing more material in Europe landing songs on compilations in Finlandand Germany, and  releasing another split record with Baseball Camp Nurse on Icky  Recordings.

In the spring Shoptaw decided to leave the band to explore other possibilities, leaving Lee with a difficult task, rebuild the band  or continue solo. With many dates already booked Lee chose to continue performing as Mangled Bohemians by himself. This changed the sound and  dynamic greatly. What once was an Art/Noise group now has become an  ambient, psychedelic singer songwriter act more reminiscent of  Grouper, Kurt Vile or Six Organs of
Admittance. 2011 has seen the release of their 2nd full length record “At the Edge of Earth” and extensive touring throughout the year.

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Born into the dry, expansive landscapes of Eastern Washington State (specifically, the outskirts of Spokane, WA); ponderosa pine trees, eerie basalt formations, the dusty taste of summer, vacant lots, boomtown decay, unintentional kitsch, & a welcome sense of isolation are relished by the artist & bear more influence on him than anything else. Ben Luca Robertson is a composer, sound artist, microtonalist, luthier, educator, & Aphonia Recordings co-founder. His work addresses an interest in autonomous processes & biological or topographical themes & systems; often by supplanting narrative structure with an emphasis on the physicality of sound, the use of extended durations (i.e. drones), spectral tuning, & musical structures that occupy the cusp between algorithm and improvisation. As an educator, he has taught courses in composition, electro-acoustic music, recording, & experimental instrument design at Eastern Washington University, as well as regional workshops on pyschoacoustics & tuning.

Recently, the majority of Ben’s creative output has been realized through his microtonal chamber group, Dancing for the Flesh. The group is composed of a revolving lineup of musicians & multi-disciplinary collaborators. An important component of this performance model is the use of homemade instruments & software; which Ben designs & constructs for this express purpose. These devices often incorporate found & re-purposed objects (aluminum channeling, metal rods, etc.), electromagnetism, sympathetic resonance, photo-sensors, kinetic interaction, & computer programming (Max/MSP) as a means to actualizing the complex tuning systems he envisions for his pieces. In this sense, Ben’s work pays homage to a long line of experimental luthiers, including Harry Partch, Bart Hopkin, Nicolas Collins, & Yuri Landman.

In addition to exploring the upper reaches of the harmonic series, another purpose of creating these devices & software is to foster new modes of performer interaction. Consequently, the use of visual projections, interactive scores, & algorithm-guided improvisation play a significant role in Dancing For the Flesh performances. Other recent projects have included Long Cycles (2014), a sound & moving image installation with digital artist, Jenny Hyde, as well as collaborations with video artist, Lane V. McCabe. Past performances & commissions have included: the Olympia Experimental Music Festival (2008, 2009, 2014), Pritchard Art Gallery (2012), International Noise Conference (2006, 2010), Eastern Washington University Symphony Orchestra (2011), Magma Festival (2010; collaboration with Bill Horist, Derek M. Johnson, Dylan Carlson), Gallery 1412 (2007-2009), & Object Space (2006-2013).

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