“Keine leichte Kost, aber es lohnt sich, den TRYON’schen Klangkosmos zu erkunden – aufregend, fordernd, schön!“

ErEm

KELLEN MILLS

KELLEN MILLS is a bassist and composer. He’s leader of his ‘solo’ project TRYON, a large ensemble founded in Berlin 2020 *w/ Rieko Okuda, Erik Leuthäuser, Kiki Manders, Jasper Stadhouders, Taiko Saito, Eliad Wagner, Edith Steyer, Jonathon Lindhorst, Dovydas Stalmokas, Omri Abrmov, Quentin Cholet, and an additional revolving group of players based in Berlin. TRYON has recently released 2 full length albums on Double Moon Records; “Läuterung” in 2022 (w/ Erik Leuthäuser, Ganna Gryniva, Omri Abramov, Toms Rudzinskis, Rieko Okuda) and “Freaky Squash Baby” in 2023 (w/ Kiki Manders, Erik Leuthäuser, Oli Steidle, Philipp Gropper, Taiko Saito, Edith Steyer, Jasper Stadhouders, Rieko Okuda, Martial Frenzel, Grgur Savic, Eliad Wagner, Dovydas Stalmokas and many others). He’s planning a new collection of compositions to be recorded in 2024.

Additionally Kellen has a newly formed Evil Joe Trio with Edith Steyer and Vojta Drnek; as well as Xcountry Bungalow ensemble with Joe Hertenstein and Eliad Wagner. Performs regularly in both the jazz and echtzeit musik scene in Berlin and abroad. His own perfomance is based around both bass textures, rock, noise and electronics intermingled. And he uses his “punk” ethos to establish new territories.

His music has been described as Uncompromising jazz mixed with complex contemporary music and free imrprovisation. And he regularly works in the noise and free jazz or “Echtezeit” musik scene.

Born in 1984, Kellen performed mainly in Seattle, WA, USA in 2002-2014. He picked up bass guitar after playing guitar regularly and became obsessed with Frank Zappa and progressive rock of the 1960’s and 70s. His approach has gone from the early days of rock oriented music to more free improvisation and complex written music.

Has performed at: Nordhausen Jazz, Seaprog Festival, Burg Herzberg, Zappanale, Bflat Jazzclub, Jazzclub Schlot, Rosenheim Jazz, Kafe Kult, Club Mila, etc forever.