kaitlyn aurelia smith's formative years were spent communing with nature on orcas island in the northwest region of washington state, a place she describes as "one of the most magical and peaceful places i have ever been." though she wouldn't begin experimenting with modular synthesis until many years later, her creative work continues to be infused with and inspired by the vitality and serenity of orcas. 

smith left the island to attend berklee college of music, where she studied composition and sound engineering, initially focusing on her voice as her primary instrument, before switching to classical guitar and piano. she employed many of the skills she refined in college in her indie-folk band ever isles, but a fateful encounter with a neighbor who lent her a buchla 100 synthesizer, had a profound effect on her. mesmerized by the buchla’s potential, she explains "i got so distracted and enamored with the process of making sounds with it that i abandoned the next ever isles album." starting with rhythmic patterns and melodic pulses, she soon began sculpting lush and exciting worlds of sound.