Aaron Michael Smith (Непомняще) is a composer, violist and artist currently based in Boston, MA. Aaron is interested in exploring the way that various practices and mediums overlap, reflect and contradict one another. He is often engaged in collaborations with filmmakers, visual artists, philosophers, poets and other musicians.
A large part of his practice since 2012 has been making experimental films which have gone on to be featured at numerous international film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Tribeca Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival and the Chicago Underground Film Festival, garnering awards at festivals such as the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Montreal Underground Film Festival and the Marseille Underground Film Festival, to name a few.
Aaron has presented his work, given lectures on electronic music and held multimedia workshops at various institutions including the New Orleans Film Festival, the Ann Arbor Film Festival and Universidad Austral de Chile Acoustics Institute.
Aaron is a co-curator, along with Jordan Kokot, of field|guide, a collaborative multimedia art project releasing in print and digitally annually.
In 2021, Aaron began a podcast, plink plonk, with Berlin-based composer, Georg Hilmarsson, in which they analyze music that they are influenced by and interview fellow composers and musicians.
Aaron is one third of grein, an experimental improv trio, with Jay Rauch and Jonathan Rodriguez. Aaron is one half of G R I M M E R, an electronic duo, with André Mestre. He performs solo & releases solo albums on Bandcamp under the name, UN/NO.
A large part of his practice since 2012 has been making experimental films which have gone on to be featured at numerous international film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Tribeca Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival and the Chicago Underground Film Festival, garnering awards at festivals such as the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Montreal Underground Film Festival and the Marseille Underground Film Festival, to name a few.
Aaron has presented his work, given lectures on electronic music and held multimedia workshops at various institutions including the New Orleans Film Festival, the Ann Arbor Film Festival and Universidad Austral de Chile Acoustics Institute.
Aaron is a co-curator, along with Jordan Kokot, of field|guide, a collaborative multimedia art project releasing in print and digitally annually.
In 2021, Aaron began a podcast, plink plonk, with Berlin-based composer, Georg Hilmarsson, in which they analyze music that they are influenced by and interview fellow composers and musicians.
Aaron is one third of grein, an experimental improv trio, with Jay Rauch and Jonathan Rodriguez. Aaron is one half of G R I M M E R, an electronic duo, with André Mestre. He performs solo & releases solo albums on Bandcamp under the name, UN/NO.
In 2024 Aaron co-founded a music series/experimental curation space called TRANSPORTER with Jessica Hernandez, hosted at Boston Cyberarts Gallery in the neighborhood of Jamaica Plain. They throw shows, host experiments and workshops, and foster community.
Education:
Aaron completed a Master’s in music composition at Boston University with Joshua Fineberg and Rodney Lister.
While at BU, Aaron participated in lessons, workshops, masterclasses, readings and recordings with Liza Lim, Patricia Alessandrini, Klaus Lang, Fred Lerdahl, Philippe Leroux, JACK Quartet, Arditti Quartet, Ashot Sarkissjan, Giacomo Baldelli and Sound Icon.
Previously he graduated from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, receiving degrees in music composition and viola performance, including a minor in electronic music. In the summers of 2014 & 2017 he participated in summer workshops at IRCAM in Paris. He is currently on the composition faculty at the NEC Prep School and teaches violin, viola and composition privately.
Latest releases:
Playland --- debut feature-length film dir. by Georden West & prod. by Artless Media, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on Feb. 2, 2023 & North American premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2023.
Here we are constantly banging to try and come through the other side.--- video / audio / text / booklet release as grein
seeme, --- digital audio & video releases of live grein show at 2220 Arts + Archive in LA (released on Gilded Records)
--- sixth short-film collaboration with Russell Sheaffer
anacapa --- fifth short-film collaboration with Russell Sheaffer
Upcoming projects to be released soon:
--- recording of a piece for two amplified voices & electronics, recorded with Jay Rauch
(see OTHER for more informal bio and other stuff about me)