Aaron J. Trumm grew up in Taos, NM, a mountain town and artist community frought with creativity, snow and contention. His father played guitar and trombone in bars and clubs, and Aaron grew up loving old country and hip-hop. He hit the stage first at age 13, when his blazing memorized rendition of Martin Luther King, JR’s I have a dream speech drew school officials running down the hall. He was a four sport athlete in high school, playing football, soccer, track and ice hockey, and has been a practicing martial artist since age 5.

All that time, Aaron was defying death, doctors and odds, until in 2013 he received a double lung transplant, which, if you haven’t done it, is an experience like none other. Aaron actually ENJOYED it. He relished the pain, hard work and transformation, and is now back in the mix with a whole new attitude.

Along the way, Aaron has been on stage everywhere in the U.S. and some places outside, he was the 10th ranked slam poet in the world, his techno/classical fusion project Third Option was called “Wicked, totally amazing” by BBC Radio I’s Annie Nightingale, he’s earned a Master’s degree from Stanford University, and he’s built NQuit Music, which at 21 years old, is now one of the oldest still operating independent labels in the U.S.

In Aaron J. Trumm’s 28 years in the studio and on stage, the theme that continues to come up is “balance”, or as some would say it, “fusion”. He balances dark with light, with lyrics balancing edge with positivity; he balances new with old, putting modern twists on traditional methods, like putting rap and singing on top of a live band; and he balances life, refusing to let dreams go by the wayside, while simultaneously prioritizing health, family and life outside of art.

Aaron’s influences are wide and varied, from The Roots, which he loves because they continue the oldest hip-hop tradition of honest, creative story telling without all the gangster posturing, to Rage Against The Machine, who called to Aaron because they’re revolutionaries who can rock, to Johhny Cash and Bob Wills, who remind him of his roots, but buck the stifling traditions and closed mindedness of the country establishment, and were constantly looking to collaborate with people outside their box. He fuses these elements and becomes something wholly new – a rappin, rockin, blues man, lover AND warrior, who will move between rapping and singing even within lines, and is equally at home behind the mix desk as he is behind the piano or the mic.

As one reviewer said, “Aaron’s blending of hip-hop beats, rock n roll riffs, R&B melodies, rapping and vocals makes his music part of the un-genre typified by artists such as Gorillaz and Stereo MCs, as well as Digital Underground, Outkast and The Roots (for old skool junkies).” Throw in a dash of Cash and De la Rocha, and you have Aaron J. Trumm.

In “Livin Is Bling”, Aaron’s rhythmically complex raps say in no uncertain terms that he won’t be stopped, and hopes you won’t either. He invites you to “sing it with me if you think that livin is bling”. Life is GOOD, and don’t you forget it! “Be Like Me”’s lively rap and reggae like chorus admonishes us all to be what we are, and in “Slumberland”, he takes on heartbreak, loss, desperation and the surreality of someone being gone.

Aaron’s latest work seeks balance and life, drawing on this wide variety of influences which seem completely eclectic, but he sees as similar. The Roots may not be anything like Rage Against The Machine to you, but to Aaron, they’re both rappers and revolutionaries who decided to put a good ‘old fashioned BAND on stage. Neither of them may seem like the Man In Black, but to Aaron, they’re all standing on the shoulders of the jazz greats, country crooners, blues masters and hip-hop pioneers, all of which are telling the story of living, breathing and lifting up.

You can contact Aaron at aaron@aarontrumm.com, and he will respond, as he loves people and interaction more than art and work.

Publications

Turn It Down, Sonny! (Listening at the right volume levels) – Recording Magazine
File This (A brief discussion of audio file types) – Recording Magazine
Roll Your Own (Studio computer, that is…) – Recording Magazine
Tweak Your Own (Optimizing your Windows computer for audio) – Recording Magazine
Keeping Track (Meta-tagging and the data you need to keep) – Recording Magazine
Caging The Beast (How to mic pianos) – Recording Magazine
Tune That Room (The art of DIY acoustic treatment) – Recording Magazine
Keeping The Rhythm (DIY drums – part 1 – acoustic) – Recording Magazine
Keeping The Rhythm (DIY drums – part 2 – programming) – Recording Magazine
Studio Deliverables – Recording Magazine
Listen Different – Recording Magazine
Listen Before Spending – Recording Magazine
The Importance Of Going Outside – Recording Magazine
Gift Giving For People Who Love Recordists – Recording Magazine
The Evolution Of Evolutionary Mixing – Recording Magazine
A Transformative Weekend (Taxi Road Rally report) – Recording Magazine
Bringing Traffic To Your Music Website – Computer Music Magazine, Vol. 28
Building An Effective Music Website – Computer Music Magazine, Vol. 28
The Linux Based Recording Studio – Linux Journal, May 2004
The Art of EQ – Cubase Newsletter
National Poetry Slam Anthology 2002
National Poetry Slam Anthology CD 2002
National Poetry Slam Anthology 2005
Adobe Walls Poetry Anthology 2011
Fixed And Free Poetry Anthology 2011
Fixed And Free Poetry Anthology 2014

Recognition
10th Ranked National Slam Poet
Two Time Houston City Poetry Slam Champion
Captain of 8th Ranked Houston National Poetry Slam Team
BBC Radio I Mix Set Produce
Opened for Ani Difranco with Buddy Wakefield
Opened with MOTM Lounge for Saul Williams
Zoe’s Choice Award, Tourette’s Without Regrets Poetry Slam
Commission by BBC Radio 1 for 30 minute mix set
Top 5 album, “Martyrs And Heroes”, CLXU Canada

Discography

–Aaron J. Trumm–
Livin Is Bling (Digital Album)
Bleed (Full Length CD)
Strong Happy Healthy Free (Digital Single)

–Third Option–
Third Option, “The Four Hard Edges Of War” (Full Length CD)
Third Option, “Cult Of Nice” (Full Length CD)
Third Option, “Frosted Mini Wheats” (Full length CD)
Third Option, “BBC Mix Set I” (30 Min Mix Set)
Third Option, “Monkey Set” (20 Min Mix Set)
Third Option, “Still” (Maxi-Single)
Third Option, “Orson’s Groove” (Single)
Third Option, “Kennedy’s Groove” (Single)
Third Option, “Dance Uncle” (Single)

–M.C. Murph–
Martyrs And Heroes (Full length CD)
Artistic Apocalypse (Full length CD)

–Other Artists (producer, guest artist, mixer)–
Dree Mon, “Lone Wolf” (Digital Single – mixer)
Kim Krenik, “Feel Good Summer” (Digital Single – mixer)
Ten Summersets, “Call Me Bold” (Digital Single)
Larry Lines, “Numen” (Full Length CD)
dominguez, “Bugs, Wine, Demons” (Full Length CD)
Team FUn, “Proletariet CD” (Spoken Word EP)
Querques, “Querques” (Full Length CD)