BACKGROUND


DAMON AARON

Damon Aaron grew up in the foothills of LA playing folk and country
music with his family and noodling with radio shack synthesizers. He
began writing songs while working towards a degree in fine art at UC
Santa Cruz. Throughout the 90’s, he led soul and hip-hop bands in LA
singing and mc-ing, and played guitar for others like the Breakestra
and seminal hip-hop artist Divine Styler. In the mid-90’s, he began
working with several percussionists and developing a style informed by
hip-hop, as well his interest in traditional folkloric and soul music
of all kinds. He cites Donny Hathaway, Nick Drake, Bob Marley, and
Oliver Mtukudzi as primary influences. He continues to make beats and
play guitar with bands like Najite and the Olokun Prophecy, and work
with electronic artists like Barbara Morgentern and Telefon Tel Aviv.
He lives in Altadena with his wife and two children, producing his own
brand of personal and eclectic soul music.



SELECT DISCOGRAPHY

2005 BALLAST (Plug Research)
2004 REWIND!3 (Ubiquity), compilation
2004 TELEFON TEL AVIV "Map Of What Is Effortless"(Hefty), LP
2003 CYMBIDIUM (Kick Snare Hat), EP
2003 BUILD AN ARK "Peace With Every Step", LP
2001 DUBLAB PRESENTS: FREEWAYS (Emperor Norton), compilation
1999 THE FUNKY PRECEDENT (No Mayo), compilation


PRESS

"My cut of choice was Damon Aaron's take on
Gil Scott-Heron's 'Willing", sounding as powerful
and innovative as it did over two decades ago"
---Devun Hunter, MeanStreet


"...the approach works best when guest vocalist
Damon Aaron sits in. His measured crooning over
a sliced and diced acoustic guitar figure in
"At The Edge Of The World You Will Still Float"
evokes Seal backed by Tortoise."
--CMJ


"[Telefon Tel Aviv] fashion a tight electronic funk backing
for Aaron’s gorgeous vocal and the swelling strings on the
beautiful ballad ‘I Lied.’ It’s an album peak. . ."
---Stylus Magazine


"Those who’ve been put to sleep by all the acoustic
guitar posing from the neo-soul crowd should certainly
wake up in time to hear [Damon Aaron]"
---Graffiti Online


"Imagine that Van Morrison had grown
up in a time of hip-hop beats”
--- LA Weekly


"...working blues for dreamers"
---Frosty, dublab.com