Drew Smith (1999 - ) is a Kansas-born musician and sound artist currently living in Texas. Smith has recorded and released music under various solo monikers and collaborative projects since 2011. His earliest solo work and performances were done under the name Theo's Mystic Robot Orchestra, and his most popular work has been done with the band Bad Kids To The Front. The band has released 3 genre-bending and acclaimed albums with different lineups. His most recent work explores electroacoustic elements and forms of processing, using guitar, field recordings and a custom modular synthesizer system alongside guitar effects pedals, Ableton Live, Max/MSP, and Pure Data. Smith will begin attending college next semester at Oberlin Conservatory as a Bachelor of Music in their prestigious Technology in Music and Related Arts program.
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Recent Works
"God Helps Those Who Helps Themselves" - 2017
A complementary sound composition to Seth Peter’s instillation "The Uncanny Valley”, which debuted at the Lawrence Art Center in Lawrence, KS on April 29th, 2017. It uses three sound layers: a sample of a pastor’s sermon processed to sound like a vinyl record, an acoustic guitar processed in Max/MSP that is made to sound similar to the sound of a scratched CD, and a plethora of synthesizer noise performed on a Pittsburgh Modular system and ARP 2600 (recorded at Oberlin Conservatory’s TIMARA Labs). These three sound layers are meant to imply the relationship between religion and technology and the fixtures they hold in our lives, and are also meant to exploit the flaws and degradation that occurs in them over time. The pastor’s sermon is warped and distorted, the guitar sounds familiar and warm but skips and glitches at random, and the synthesizers sound harsh and metallic. Together they create something simultaneously comforting and unsettling. |
Portfolio - 2016
A compilation of compositions and sound pieces that were used for Drew's college portfolios that got him accepted into the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Oberlin Conservatory. The compilation explores many different musical ideas and styles, and uses a variety of techniques for playing and recording. Many tracks focus on combining and processing the familiar sounds in our world through electronics, as well as heavy use of synthesizers and guitars to create ambient landscapes. . A significant portion of the material was recorded during the 2016 Sonic Arts Workshop at Oberlin Conservatory. |
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You Are Alone - 2016
The third album from Smith's band Bad Kids To The Front. After over two years of writing and recording, the album was finally released in 2016. The album inherits the psychedelic and experimental qualities of the band's previous two albums, but presents the ideas within more formal song structures. This combination of sonic chaos and structure creates distorted, disorienting, and haunting walls of sound. The album's lyrics and themes center around depression, anxiety, and fear of change. It was completely self recorded and produced. |
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Contact/Press/Commissions
Please feel free to contact me with any personal questions about my work, opportunities for booking, or potential commissions or collaborations.
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