Steven R. Smith began his career as a member of the acclaimed kraut-influenced rock unit Mirza.  Mirza recorded EPs for various imprints and one full-length for Darla before dissolving at the end of the last century.  In the midst of his tenure in Mirza, Smith began creating instrumental solo recordings at a feverish pace.  His early solo efforts eschewed Mirza’s maximalist sounds in favor of restraint, resulting in dark, moody folk instrumentals. 

Thuja, an improvised rock group featuring Steven R. Smith, Glenn Donaldson, Loren Chasse and Rob Reger debuted in 2000, shortly after the demise of Mirza.  The quartet has recorded seven full-lengths to date, most recently the vinyl-only self-titled release for Important Records.

Steven R. Smith introduced his new endeavor, Hala Strana, in 2003 with a 3” CDR EP on Jewelled Antler (in contribution to their Library Series, soon to be reissued on Soft Abuse), and a self-titled full length on Emperor Jones.  Though present in his previous work, Hala Strana exclusively utilizes  the scales and melodies found in village music of Eastern European countries (i.e. Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania, etc).  The music should not be treated as ethnological preservation, however. In the same manner from which The Band transformed the sounds of early Americana into their own brand of timeless music, Hala Strana has abstracted these melodies, creating unique compositions that reference ‘arcane’ sounds.  The ambitious Fielding double CDR and chapbook would soon follow (now reissued on Last Visile Dog).  These Villages, released on Soft Abuse in 2004, is perhaps Smith’s defining moment as Hala Strana.  The seemless drift and shifting dynamics therein is a watershed moment.  Smith’s most recent recordings as Hala Strana appeared as a lathe cut single on Soft Abuse in 2006.  The single includes two originals and a cover of ‘Dream Forever’ by Dog Faced Hermans.

The music of Steven R. Smith continues to evolve.  Crown of Marches, released in 2005 on Catsup Plate, is another departure for Smith.  Crown of Marches features one epic dooming track with echoes of Keiji Haino.  The Anchorite, a limited LP-only release also attributed to his given name, features sprase, intense compositions unlike anything he’s yet to release.  The Los Angeles resident is currently composing and recording material for a new project, Ulaan Khol, in his Worstward studio.