Mike Johnson
USA- Biography of Mike Johnson
- Formation of 'Thinking Plague'
- 'Thinking Plague' and Success
- Other Collaborations and Career
Biography of Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson, an American experimental rock musician and composer, is best known as one of the founders and members of the avant-garde rock group 'Thinking Plague'. Born in the United States in 1952, Johnson joined his first band at the age of 13 and began composing music at the age of 17. While studying classical and electronic music at college in Denver, Johnson independently mastered the art of composition and guitar.
Formation of 'Thinking Plague'
As a college student in 1978, Johnson responded to an advertisement in a local music store, which aimed to recruit guitarists for various bands such as 'Henry Cow' and 'Yes'. This led to his meeting with bassist and drummer Bob Drake. Initially, Mike and Bob played in several cover bands until 1980 when they started experimenting with prepared guitars and tape machines to record Johnson's compositions. Their goal was to combine the hard-edged progressive rock elements of bands like 'Crimson' and 'Yes' with more modern tonalities and experimental approaches, similar to the English avant-garde rock group 'Art Bears'.
'Thinking Plague' and Success
By 1982, the creative duo had accumulated enough material to perform live and recruited three other musicians for a small tour in Denver. These members became the first incarnation of the band 'Thinking Plague'. From 1982 to 2004, the band alternated between active periods and disappearances from the scene, but its success and recognition in the avant-garde rock circles were evident. The group released five studio albums and a live album, 'Upon Both Your Houses', featuring their performance at the NEARfest rock festival in 2000. Johnson and Drake both led 'Thinking Plague', until Drake left the band in the early 1990s, leaving Johnson at the helm. Most of the group's musical material was composed by Johnson.
Other Collaborations and Career
While 'Thinking Plague' occupied a significant part of Mike's career, he managed to be a member of 'Hamster Theatre' starting in 1996, and worked with 'The Science Group' in 2003. In the mid-1990s, he toured with the Los Angeles-based group '5uu's' and indie-punk group 'Hail', and collaborated with various musicians. Johnson worked with labels such as 'Recommended' and 'Cuneiform'.
