Aurelio Voltaire

Aurelio Voltaire Hernández, known as Voltaire, was born on January 25, 1967 in Havana, Cuba. He is a Cuban‑American musician, singer, composer, author, and animator. By age 10, he was inspired by Ray Harryhausen’s films, began animating on a Super 8 camera, and later learned to build foam‑rubber models. At 17, he landed his first animation job at Parker Brothers. Voltaire’s music career began in high school with the band First Degree. His debut album, The Devil’s Bris, was released in June 1998 (not July) on Projekt Records. One of his most popular songs is “BRAINS!,” featured in the Cartoon Network series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. He also contributed to Adventure Quest Worlds, adapting tracks from his album To the Bottom of the Sea. His discography includes Hate Lives in a Small Town (2010) and Riding a Black Unicorn Down the Side of an Erupting Volcano While Drinking from a Chalice Filled with the Laughter of Small Children (2011), among others. Voltaire’s style spans dark cabaret, folk, and darkwave genres.