DJ Spooky 出生于华盛顿DC、大学时主修法国文学及哲学的DJ　Spooky(原名Paul　D.Miller)，早已是90年代最重要的DJ哲学家(DJ－as－philosopher)，更是整个lllbient运动的重要领导人物。一方面在转居纽约后深受DJ　Culture与Hip－Hop、Graffiti街头艺术薰陶，一方面在音乐上又承袭着Musique　Concrete前卫(Avant－Garde)理论与John　Cage、SunRa、Grand　master　Flash影响的他，早在众人尚不知"lllbient"为何的1995年间，便已率先在"Knitting　Factory"厂牌底下发表了"Necropolis:The　Dialogic　Project"这张专辑。而当中如同CD封面上所述呈现结合了NYCCxperiment　a　Trip－Hop、Ambient　Dub、Jungle的音乐风貌，正勾勒出了今日lllbient的蓝图。 　　　　1996年，DJ　Spooky以《Songs　Of　A　Dead　Dreamer》专辑正式奠定了他在lllbient　Scene中的领导地位，他以更圆融的Cut－N－Mix、Sampladelia手法，将Dub、Hip－Hop、Abstract　Beats、Drum'N'Bass、Electronica、Avant－Garde等元素共冶一炉，建构出一个实验抽象的重低音Dub声响领域，完全反应出纽约这个城市的浑沌病态面貌，甚至他还出人意表地迅速在1997年时再以本名PaulD.Miller发表《Viral　Sonata》，为整个lllbient运动写下最深邃富哲学思维的一页!1998年DJ　Spooky继而借《Riddim　Warfare》专辑(1999年才在英国出版)，展现出他向纽约Hip－Hop文化致敬的意图，并将他的lllbient世界由抽象领域搬回现实界限，展露出一种置于Dancehall、Lo－Fi　Rock、Hip－Hop、Hardcore　Jungle　Experimentalism交界之折衷地带的创作模式，可说是他有史以来最为平易近人的一次出击。 儿时DJ Spooky十分热衷punk文化，这在他之后的作品中也是偶尔可以看到影子的，他的多才多艺是出了名的，他不但是名出色的DJ，而且也是名优秀的Producter,并且他写的乐评也十分棒，在同行中他的言论一向颇有建树，而且他还是名科幻小说家，只是不知道何时才能机会拜读他的大作
DJ Spooky (That Subliminal Kid) is the most noted (and notorious) proponent of turntablism, an approach to hip-hop and DJing whose philosophy merges avant-garde theories of musique concrète with the increased devotion paid to mixing techniques during the 1990s. Though hes overly intellectual at times (to the detriment of his recordings, interviews, and mixing dates), Spooky was a critical figure in spotlighting the DJ as a post-modern poet in his own right. Influenced equally by John Cage and Sun Ra as well as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, few artists did more to mainstream the DJ-as-artist concept than he.
Spooky was born Paul Miller in Washington, D.C. His father was a lawyer and member of the faculty at Howard University but died when Miller was only three. He inherited his fathers record collection, which, along with frequent trips around the world (thanks to his mothers international fabric store), opened his eyes to a wide range of music. Growing up in the 80s saw Miller interested in D.C.s hardcore punk scene and British ska-punk as well as go-go music. While attending college in Maine, Spooky began mixing on his own radio show and attempted to introduce his KRS-One tapes into classroom discussions on deconstruction (an idea made quite conceivable just ten years later). After graduating with degrees in French literature and philosophy, he moved to New York, where he wrote science fiction alongside advertising copy and pursued visual art as well. He was still into hip-hop, however, and formed the underground Soundlab collective (with We, Byzar, Sub Dub, and others), a scene that later morphed into the illbient movement.
After an assortment of singles and EPs during 1994-1995, Spooky gained a record contract from Asphodel in 1996 and released his debut album, Songs of a Dead Dreamer. The single Galactic Funk became a hit on the club scene, leading to recording appearances with Arto Lindsay and remixing spots for Metallica, Sublime, Nick Cave, and Spookey Ruben; Spooky also began writing regular journalist columns, for The Village Voice and Vibe. As if that didnt keep him busy, he also released the mix album Necropolis: The Dialogic Project, recorded a Paul D. Miller solo LP titled Viral Sonata, and performed in a new digital version of the Iannis Xenakis composition Kraanerg. His second proper album, 1998s Riddim Warfare, saw Spooky with a cast including disparate indie-world figures from Dr. Octagon to Thurston Moore. He has also mounted visual exhibits at the Whitney Museum in New York and scored the award-winning 1998 film Slam.
One year later, he released File Under Futurism, a co-production with the Freight Elevator Quartet. 2000 saw the release of a collaborative effort with Scanner entitled The Quick and the Dead. The highly praised mix CD Under the Influence appeared the following year, but the next real album to appear from the DJ was 2002s Modern Mantra. That same year, as part of its Blue Series Continuum, Six Degrees released Optometry, a collaboration featuring Spooky with numerous progressive jazz artists such as William Parker and Matthew Shipp. Its remix companion, Dubtometry, appeared early in 2003. In 2004 Spooky teamed with the dub outfit Twilight Circus for Riddim Clash released by Play. The same year he was courted to remix two different labels output. A mix of Sub Rosa material appeared as Rhythm Science in January, and Thirsty Ear gave Spooky access to their Blue Series for Celestial Mechanix, released in June. In 2005, Drums of Death, a collaboration with Slayer and Fantômas drummer Dave Lombardo, came out, followed the next year by the DJ Spooky-curated collection 50,000 Volts of Trojan Records. A year later the DJ remixed some favorites from the legendary reggae labels catalog on the fascinating album Creation Rebel.