Seattle-based producer Aaron Holm is getting ready for the release of his album, The Boy, and with coverage from XLR8R and Electronic Sound, Holm is quickly becoming a name bursting through in the electronic world. The atmospheric tracks that have been released in preparation of the release show that his latest music blend influences from experimental and ambient music, as well as dashes of Washington’s natural atmosphere.
We sat down to get to know the man behind the music. Check out our interview below!
Hi Aaron, thank you for taking the time to talk to us! We’ve been nonstop playing your latest single, ‘Catch A Falling Star.’ But for people who are waiting for your upcoming album, how would you describe the rest of your album? How about your style in general?
The album is the story of a boy born into violence who becomes a man, and a father wanting to protect his children. The music is layered and sometimes uncomfortable which is intentional. I’m not sure that I have a style though it does make sense to me to use field recordings as a natural foundation and build songs on top.
It seems like you’ve been greatly influenced by ambient pioneers like Jon Hopkins and Roger & Brian Eno. How do you see the ambient music scene develop over the decade? Why do you find ambient and electronic music so influential to your musical style?
I’m not sure there’s really a scene for ambient music. It’s rooted in experimentation and crossover with visual arts, photography, poetry, and dance so it should be changing all the time and perhaps obscure by definition. Ambient music leaves space for the listener to have their own experiences and fade in and out in whatever way feels natural. There are no rules. It’s also the only music that makes sense to me to make.
In a world where music trends direct toward releasing one off singles, what prompted you to create a full length release? The Boy is a story and the only way to tell it from start to finish was as an album.
I’m very interested in the Seattle music scene. A lot of the electronic music I have heard coming from the North Western area seems to have an ethereal quality to them. What are crucial spots in Seattle that I would need to check out to understand the music climate in Washington?
You’d have to hike in the forest and mountains and endure the full glory of a rainy winter. There’s a unique, green quiet that comes out of weeks of rain. The music – Loscil, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Marcus Fischer – comes directly from the climate and the landscape.
Finally, do you have any information regarding upcoming releases, projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
Nothing planned. I’m building a new company called Blokable that makes smart, modular buildings. That’s taking up all of my time.
