I was born in Riverside, California. I received a PhD in English from the University of California, Riverside. I wrote his dissertation on sound and technology in 20th century literature. You can read it at the Haunted Ink Library.
I first began studying music in the 80s, influenced by both the indie-punk bands of that decade (The Replacements and The Minutemen, especially) and by the great music of earlier decades (Dylan, Stones, Stax/Volt, Robert Johnson). I spent a few years learning to play the guitar, but he grew dissatisfied with the instrument and became more interested in literature and writing.
Ah, but then computers grew up and it became possible to not only create but also to record, edit, master, and distribute music all on one’s own. I started on this road in the mid-90s, while I was working on my dissertation. I recorded a few albums of fun little songs (Me, AC, and Pocket Monkey) under the name Aboo, and I sold them via mp3.com.
At first, Aboo’s music emulated (or tried to) the more eclectic electronic music of Rephlex, Warp, and similar labels. Gradually, it evolved to incorporate more experimental sounds (borrowing from the artists on labels like Mille Plateaux, 12k, Trente Oiseaux, Raster-Noton, and Touch). To accompany this shift in focus from lighthearted, bouncy songs to weird, atmospheric stuff, I decided to stop being Aboo and start being Michael Heumann.
In 2003, I produced a web-only release, The Island of Sleeping Chickens. It’s a concept album, provided that the sounds of an island filled with chickens sleeping is really a concept and not some deranged image. It is available at eMusic, Amazon and iTunes.
In 2008, I released Neolithic, again a web-only release available at iTunes, Amazon, and eMusic. It incorporates a number of experiments I had been conducting utilizing shortwave radio, field recordings, and electric guitar and bass recordings. Tracks are available here at Haunted Ink, and there’s even a video available for the song “Small Victory” at YouTube.
In 2011, I released Riverrun, a strange collection of tunes inspired (mostly) by literary works such as Dante’s Divine Comedy and James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake (where the album gets its name). It includes a spoken word song, “The Knife,” along with several collage songs (a group of small songs spliced together to create a longer work). It is available at Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, Emusic, and many other places.
My interest in experimental electronic music (coupled with my career in writing) led me to create 25, a web site dedicated to providing recommendations for anyone interested in this type of music. 25 began in 2000. In 2003, an offshoot of the site was created, Almaty or Bust, focusing on the music of Central Asia. In addition to writing the reviews and maintaining these sites, I also wrote reviews for Stylus Magazine, where I also published several articles, including one on The Outer Limits. Although 25 and Stylus no longer exist, all of those writings are still available at the Haunted Ink Library.
I am currently living with my wife and our cats in El Centro, California, where I teach English at a nearby community college.
For more information, please visit
- The Library to read his dissertation, music reviews, essays, and more.
- The Inkbottle to read his rambling thoughts
- Bandcamp to hear his latest music, Riverrun
