Aled Smith (*1990) is a composer/sound artist whose work explores friction and disintegration between materials which are reformed and rebuilt into noisy, glitch-laden worlds. Embodied as physical constructions, spatialised groups and installations, his work explores analogue approaches to amplification and electronics and has been performed around the world. Collaborations include: Rage Trombones, MCME, Jason Alder, Silvia Lucas, Aleksandra Demowska-Madejska, E-MEX ensemble and TAK Ensemble. He holds a PhD in composition from the RNCM in Manchester, UK.
Holding the Berlin Fellowship 2020 by Akademie der Künste, Berlin, he is currently part of “What Matters”, this year’s work presentation by the JUNGE AKADEMIE, the international artist-in-residence programme of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin.
FACTS
1. The Russian war against Ukraine is abhorrent and a justification to murder innocent people.
2. It’s 2022. Human beings still hate other human beings (and the planet).
3. Money is the root of all evil.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
A variety of different music and sound making has been relevant at different times – it’s hard to start nailing that down in a meaningful way. I am finding more and more inspiration in physical objects and qualities of sound in relation to them.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I picked up the electric guitar at 12 or 13 and it’s been downhill ever since.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time
Mats Erlandsson – Selective Miracles
Prurient – Frozen Niagara Falls
Lingua Ignota – Caligula
V/Vm – The Death of Rave (a partial flashback)
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Energy from all directions.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
My studio.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Sound art. If that doesn’t count – something within visual arts, architecture or design.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
A weird old BBC sound effects vinyl from the 70s.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Pharmakon or Puce Mary would be interesting to make a project with. Also, a collaboration with Death By Audio to create some wild noisemaking devices is a nice thought.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Ensemble Nikel playing Clara Iannotta’s Outerspace and Simon Løffler’s Monodactyl at impuls festival a few years back.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Very, and increasingly so as time goes on. I’m also getting into looking back at older, obsolete technology which is really interesting and full of strange quirks that bring about new ideas for me.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
No siblings. Sure they would be into it.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=doD9mcVAZiE&t=850s
