Short Biography
Described as a mix of modern classical, free form jazz, heavy metal and atmospheric rock, Aaron Kerr’s Dissonant Creatures is the brainchild of cellist and composer Aaron Kerr. After being awarded a McKnight Fellowship in 2006, Aaron assembled an improvisational touring group to play his music, and AKDC was born.
Long Biography
Photo by Darin KamnetzAaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures is an all-instrumental group hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota. The ensemble performs original compositions, and their music has been described as a mix of jazz fusion, free jazz and heavy metal. Sometimes melodic, sometimes atmospheric, sometimes heavy, sometimes open, these performances include electric cello, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, percussion, piano and drums.
Aaron Kerr is the band leader, conductor, composer and arranger for the ensemble. A performer for over forty years, Aaron has played on over fifty albums, both nationally and internationally, and was included on NPR's Science Friday program. Aaron received a McKnight Composer Fellowship in 2006. His 2019 release, To Combat Loneliness: Musical Compositions Based on the Works of David Foster Wallace, was nominated for Concept Album of the year at the 2020 Independent Music Awards.
In 2009, Aaron released his second solo album, Dissonant Creatures, a collection of classical and experimental jazz with minimalist tendencies. Inspired by the new direction of his music—and his new instrument, the electric cello—Aaron took his new set and improvisational band concept on the road, and Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures was born. A live EP of this adventure was released as Scorpio Rising: Live at the Picador in 2009 on Emperor Penguin Records. Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures performs regularly in the Twin Cities and tours the upper Midwest. They have played at the Eau Claire Jazz Festival and spent a two-year monthly residency at the Black Dog Café in Lowertown, St. Paul.
Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures' lineup features Aaron Kerr (electric cello), Jonathan Townsend (drums), Brett Hansen (guitar), Chris Andresen (bass), Jeff Crandall (guitar, piano), Mike Nordby (mandolin, percussion), and Sean Egan (clarinet, piano). In 2024, the group recorded their first full-length album, Scorpio Rising, which will be released in 2025 on Emperor Penguin Records. In May 2025 they will take their new album on a tour of western Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and northern Iowa.
