Roger Kleier is a composer, guitarist, and improviser who began playing electric guitar at age thirteen after discovering Captain Beefheart and Jimi Hendrix on the radio airwaves of Los Angeles.

He studied composition at North Texas State University and the University of Southern California, and has developed a unique style that draws equally from improvisation, contemporary classical music, and the American guitar traditions of blues, jazz, and rock. Much of his compositional work involves the development of a broader vocabulary for the electric guitar through the use of extended techniques and digital sound manipulation. He has also composed new works for soloists and chamber groups.

Roger describes his approach to composing: “Having grown up in Los Angeles, I’ve always had an attraction to noir ambience. My music has often been inspired by the dark and hidden experiences of life, such as urban chaos, cold and icy winters, empty alleyways, deserted subway tunnels, dank Los Angeles River aqueducts, and even an occasional quiet pool of sinister beauty”.

Roger has collaborated with Annie Gosfield, Carl Stone, Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Joan Jeanrenaud, David Moss, Laurie Annderson, Phill Niblock, John Zorn, Ikue Mori, David Krakauer, Brian Chase, Billy Martin, Stan Ridgway, and many others. With various ensembles Roger has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

His discography includes CDs on the Tzadik, CRI, Intakt, Atavistic, Wergo, ReR Megacorp, EMF, and Geffen labels. His three solo CDs are KlangenBang, released on the Rift label, Deep Night, Deep Autumn released by the Starkland label, and The Night Has Many Hours on the Innova label.

Roger Kleier Selected Discography

The Night Has Many Hours solo and with others Innova 685
Deep Night, Deep Autumn solo and with others Starkland ST-211
KlangenBang solo and with others Rift CD18
Annie Gosfield Almost Truths and Open Deceptions Tzadik TZ 8088
Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery Annie Gosfield Tzadik TZ 7069
Art Bears Revisited Artbears ReR Megacorp ab 2/5
The Twelve Tribes David Krakauer Label Bleu LBLC 6637/HM 83
State of the Union 2.001 compilation project with others EMF CD 028
Burnt Ivory and Loose Wires Annie Gosfield Tzadik TZ 7040
Yo! I Killed Your God Marc Ribot and Shrek Tzadik TZ 7134
Dyner’s Club Elliott Sharp Intakt CD 036