The Brief
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is an electronic music producer. She came to public attention with her albums Euclid and Ears, both of which were released on the label Western Vinyl to widespread acclaim. Her follow-up album, The Kid (2017), received similar praise, and was selected as an album of the year by publications such as AllMusic, NME, Pitchfork, and Spin. Smith has also composed a number of film scores, most recently for Miguel Arteta’s experimental comedy film Duck Butter, and has recorded collaborations with fellow musicians, including Synergy, created with legendary composer and sound designer Suzanne Ciani. In March 2018, Smith launched the record label touchtheplants and released Electronic Series Vol 1: Abstractions, based on works by filmmaker Harry Everett Smith.
Which animated film would you recommend?
Nausicaä: Valley of the Wind, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, or any Miyazaki film because all of his films convey the subtle, complicated emotions one feels in nature.
Which electronic album would you recommend?
Wizards by JD Emmanuel. This album is so beautiful and not on Spotify or other streaming sources.
Which poem would you recommend?
‘Big Lunch’ by Rob Moss Wilson, a short cosmic comedy: ‘Ate a big lunch / and the world / suddenly becomes / less philosophical’.
Perspectives
The following questions relate to our Perspectives column, in which two writers respond to an artwork that they are experiencing for the first time.
Can we understand a character without seeing their face?
Yes, you can understand so much by just listening to the voice. There are so many characteristics in the voice.
Do photographs always reflect the mind of the photographer?
I think all art reflects the mind and soul of the creator.
Rule of Three
The following questions relate to our Rule of Three column, for which each article includes a trio of artworks that share an association with a single word.
Which album associated with the word ‘Aquatic’ would you recommend?
Science of the Sea by Jürgen Müller.
States of the Arts
The following questions relate to our States of the Arts column, for which each article includes four artworks that share an association with a single nation or territory.
Which Zimbabwean musician would you recommend?
Newton Gwara (also known as Matemai or Newton Cheza Chozengwa), a mbira player and maker.
The art of discovery
The following questions relate to Silent Frame’s aim to celebrate the art of discovery.
What does discovery mean to you?
It means revealing what is already there – by expanding your senses and their understanding of the world.
More to discover
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith: Visit Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s website here, her Bandcamp page here, and the website for her record label, touchtheplants, here. Her Twitter handle is @kaitlynaurelia. Other interviews with Smith available online include those by Noah Jackson for Nylon, Patric Fallon for Resident Advisor, Vivian Host for Red Bull Music Academy, and Simon Reynolds for Village Voice. Listen to ‘Abstractions’, ’Riparian’, ‘To Follow and Lead’, and ‘When I Try, I’m Full’.
Today’s recommendations: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (trailer), Wizards (Bandcamp page), Rob Moss Wilson (Instagram page), Science of the Sea (information), Matemai Mbira Group (Bandcamp page).
Also on Silent Frame
