Albums

“Thollem displays a chameleonic ability to adapt to suit whatever musical context presents itself…
There is more than one way to access the infinite.” – Daniel Spicer, ​The Wire

2024 Releases

Coming up in 2024/25
Rivelarsi duo with Maria Merlino on Setola di Maiale
Duo with Carlo Mascolo on Muzic Plus (January)
OmniLelioMatic II with the Sicilian Improvisers Orchestra on TBA (Spring)
Worlds In A Life Live (Solo Sextet) on TBA

2023 Releases

• The Light Is Real with Terry Riley and Nels Cline (Other Minds Records)
• The Other Directions with Ka Baird (Superpang)
• Dark Red Skies with Michael Begay (Personal Archives)
• Synergetic Sonance with Jacek Chmiel (Synergetic Sonance Records)
• No Vacation From Poverty Tsigoti (Offset Records)
• Keyngdrum Overdrive with E. Doctor Smith (Thollem’s Bandcamp)
• Keyngdrum Overdrive with Brian McOmber (Thollem’s Bandcamp)
• Keyngdrum Overdrive With Danny Frankel (Thollem’s Bandcamp)

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Since 2005 Thollem has released 100+ albums on 26 different vanguard labels, both
solo and collaborative, exploring many different adventurous stylistic approaches in the realms and subcategories of rock, classical, jazz and noise with a long list of both luminary and under-known musicians.

The labels that have released Thollem’s music include:
Astral Spirits, ESP-Disk’, Relative Pitch, Porter, Edgetone, Odradek, Pax, Creative Sources, Amirani, Saravah, Die Schachtel, Dromos, Thick Syrup, Post-Consumer, Union Pole Tapes, Setola Di Maiale, Wild Silence, Psychic Sounds, New Atlantis, Leo, Aural Films, Personal Archives, Two Rooms, Roaratorio, Synergetic Sonance, Offset, and Superpang.
(Check out Thollem’s Bandcamp for compilations)

With these musicians:
Terry Riley, William Parker, Pauline Oliveros, Nels Cline, Stefano Scodanibbio, Mike Watt, Susan Alcorn, Alex Cline, Carmina Escobar, John Dieterich, Tim Barnes, Jad Fair, André Stjames, Ava Mendoza, Tatsuya Nakatani, Cooper-Moore, Fay Victor, Suzy Boggus, Raven Chacon, Brian Chase, Sara Lund, Gino Robair, Jennie Knaggs, Arrington de Dionyso, T.D. Skatchit, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Edoardo Ricci, Rent Romus, Jacopo Andreini, Joel Peterson, Ray Johnson, Scott Stobbe, Drew Adams, Sean Adams, Merlin Coleman, Nicola Guazzaloca, Matteo Bennici, Andrea Caprara, Theresa Wong, Jorge Torres Sáenz, Ana Lara, Juan Felipe Waller, Glenn Weyant, Jon Brumit, John Niekrasz, Gregg Skloff, Mae Starr, Monte Trent Allen, Michael Carey, Hasan Abdur-Razzaq, Kurt Prisbee, Alexander Bruck, Julián Martinez, Kjell Nordeson, Skeeter Shelton, Joel Peterson, Rick Rivera, Emilio Tamez, Csaba Csendes, Dave Wayne, Piero Spitilli, Lisa Schonberg, Heather Treadway, Ian Kerr, Million Brazilians, Lukas Ligeti, Ed Petterson, Tracy Silverman, Ryan Norris, Vinny Golia, Miles Rozatti, Dylan Simon, Sabrina Seigel, Andre Custodio, Steven Baker, Francesco Dillon, Marco Rogliano, Daniele Roccato, Michael Wimberly, Rob Mazurek, Pete Abbott, Jeff Lederer, Freedy Johnston, Walter Egan, Mary Gauthier, Charles Walker, Markus Hunt, Matthew Ryan, Todd Clouser, Michael Bisio, Tim DuRoche, Lori Goldston, Samantha Boshnack, Abby Alwin, Piotr Michalowski, Roderick Hohl, Laura Ortman, Jessica Lurie, Marco Orozco, Yuka C. Honda, Christos Yermenoglou, Lelio Giannetto, Alessandro Librio, Eva Geraci, Orlando Greenhill, Jacqueline Kim, Peter Valsamis, Nikolas Francis, Steuart Liebig, Breana Gilcher, Miller Wrenn, Chris Jonas, Rosie Hutchinson, Carlos Santistevan, Tiffany DeFoe, Rick Kodramaz, Mat Weisman, Djallo Djakate, Jason Finkelman, Maria Karamouza, Seetha Shivaswamy, Samantha Boshnack, Matt Lux, Avreeayl Ra, Jean-Marc Montera, Jacek Chmiel, Michael Begay, Ka Baird, E. Doc Smith, Brian McOmber, Danny Frankel, the Sicilian Improvisers Orchestra, and Terry Riley.

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Complete Discography

SOLO PIANO

• Obstacle Illusion – Solo piano and solo electric, live – including two acoustic post-vaccine performances in Padova and Macerata, Italy (Astral Spirits Records, 2022)*
• The Reincarnation of Henri Herz – Solo piano recording on an old forgotten piano at Sonoscopia in Porto, Portugal (BandCamp, 2022)
• Thollem Solo (Astral Spirits Records, 2021)
• Your Letter Must Have Followed Me All Over The World (Two Rooms Records, 2018) – Microtonal piano music in collaboration with tuner Clem Fortuna
• Meeting At The Parting Place (Odradek Records, 2016) – recorded at Skywalker Studios
• Dear Future, (WIld Silence, 2013) – Archival recordings of Thollem from the 70s and 80s
• Gone Beyond Reason To Find One (Edgetone Records, 2010)
• Racing The Sun, Chasing The Sun (Creative Sources, 2008)
• So Much Heaven, So Much Hell (Saravah, 2008)
• On Debussy’s Piano (BandCamp, 2008) – Thollem plays five of the pieces Claude Debussy composed on the final piano he owned 100 years prior to this recording, on the same piano.
• Poor Stop Killing Poor (Edgetone Records, 2007)
• Nuclear Bomb, Cave Painting (Pax Recordings, 2006)

SOLO ELECTRIC

• Worlds In A Life, One (ESP-Disk’ February 7th, 2024)
• Obstacle Illusion – Solo electric and solo acoustic, live – including two electric post-vaccine performances in Padova and Bologna, Italy (Astral Spirits Records, 2022)*
• Electric Confluence I, II & III (Bandcamp, 2019-2020)
• Thirteen Billion Years To Tomorrow (Bandcamp, 2019)
• Who Are U.S. – Soundtrack for Who Are U.S. with filmmaker ACVilla, 3 disc box set (Aural Films, 2017) 
• Operation Sunbeam – Solo electric about the Nevada Nuclear Test Site (Aural Films, 2016)

SONGS

• No Vacation From Poverty Tsigoti (Offset Records, 2023)
• This Day’s Called Tuesday by Hot Pursuit Of Happiness – HPOH being Thollem’s song-based moniker (Personal Archives, 2022)
• Machine In The Ghost – Solo songs dedicated to John Trudell and Black Lives Matter (Personal Archives, 2016)
• Always Put On Your Sincere Face – Collaboration with Andy Kaufman through a series of dreams (Personal Archives Records, 2016)
• Happening in 12 Acts – with Ed Petterson, Jeff Lederer, Pete Abbott, Cooper-Moore, Fay Victor, Suzy Boggus, Jennie Knaggs, Carmina Escobar, Freedy Johnston, Walter Egan, Mary Gauthier, Charles Walker and Matthew Ryan (ESP-Disk’, 2016)
• Whistling Joy Jumpers with Brian Chase and Jad Fair (Thick Syrup Records, 2014)
• Read Between the Lines … Think Outside Them with Tsigoti (Post-Consumer Records, 2013)
• Imagination Liberation Front Thinks Again with Tsigoti (Post-Consumer Records, 2012)
• You’re Always On Our Minds by Hand To Man Band with Mike Watt, John Dieterich and Tim Barnes (Post Consumer Records, 2012)
• Private Poverty Speaks To The People Of The Party with Tsigoti (ESP-Disk’, 2010)
• TheBrutalRealityOfModernBrutality with Tsigoti (Edgetone Records, 2008)
• I’ll Meet You Halfway Out In The Middle Of It All with Rick Rivera (Edgetone Records, 2006)

THOLLEM/CLINE TRIO with Nels Cline and special guests

Over the past dozen years, keyboardist Thollem and guitarist Nels Cline combined their musical outlier skills to make six uncompromising improvisational albums. – S. Victor Aaron, Something Else!

• The Light Is Real with Terry Riley and Nels Cline (Other Minds Records, 2023)
• Gowanus Session II with William Parker and Nels Cline (ESP-Disk’, 2020) 
• Reality and Other Imaginary Places with Michael Wimberly and Nels Cline (ESP-Disk’, 2019)
• Molecular Affinity with Pauline Oliveros and Nels Cline (Roaratorio Records, 2016)
• Radical Empathy with Michael Wimberly and Nels Cline (Relative Pitch, 2015)
• The Gowanus Session with William Parker and Nels Cline (Porter Records, 2012)  

The Gowanus Session is a sound sculpture. It seems purposefully unlistenable…and I keep listening to it. STEVE GREENLEE, JAZZ TIMES

ESTAMOS PROJECT

• Dire Warning with Estamos Trio: Carmina Escobar, vocals & electronics; Milo Tamez, drums (Relative Pitch Records, 2018)
• Suube Tube – Estamos Ensemble (Edgetone Records, 2017)
• People’s Historia – with Estamos Trio (Relative Pitch Records, 2013)
• Jimpani Kustakwa Ka Jankwariteecherï (Edgetone Records, 2011) 
This is a collection of improvisations and compositions written specifically for the ensemble by: Ana Lara (MX), Nels Cline (US), Juan Felipe Waller (MX), Pauline Oliveros (US), Joan Jeanrenaud (US), Vinny Golia (US), Jorge Torres Sáenz (MX), William Parker (US), Thollem McDonas (US)

DUOS WITH DRUMMERS

• Keyngdrum Overdrive with E. Doctor Smith (Thollem’s Bandcamp, 2023)
• Keyngdrum Overdrive with Brian McOmber (Thollem’s Bandcamp, 2023)
• Keyngdrum Overdrive With Danny Frankel (Thollem’s Bandcamp, 2023)
• Trio Music Minus One for Pauline Oliveros with Gino Robair (Setola di Maiale, 2018)
• Perception Management by Conformity Contortion with Sara Lund (Personal Archives, 2017)
• Keyngdrum Overdrive: WITH! – duos with drummers: Csaba Csendes, Dave Wayne, Raven Chacón, Lisa Schonberg, John Niekrasz, Heather Treadway, Ian Kerr (Timpanies), Brian Chase, André Custodio, and Miles Rozatti (Union Pole, 2014) 
• Impulsive Machinations by Conformity Contortion with Sara Lund (New Atlantic Records, 2014)
• Trio Music Minus One for Dennis Palmer with Gino Robair (Setola di Maiale, 2014)
• Imaginary Images with Lukas Ligeti (Leo Records, 2014)
• Dub Narcotic Session with Brian Chase (New Atlantic, 2014)
• Everything’s Going Everywhere with Rick Rivera (Edgetone Records, 2005)

BLOOM PROJECT with Rent Romus 

• Sudden Aurora (Edgetone Records, 2009)
• Prismatic Season (Edgetone Records, 2008)
• Bloom with Jon Brumit & Steven Baker (Edgetone Records, 2006)

Gorgeous complex music comes very rarely, so handle this record with the extreme care and attention it deserves. – Boomkat, On Debussy’s Piano And…

OTHER COLLABORATIONS as initiator or co-conspirator

• Synergetic Sonance with Jacek Chmiel (Synergetic Sonance Records)
• The Other Directions with Ka Baird (Superpang, 2023)
• Dark Red Skies with Michael Begay (Personal Archives, 2023)
• Omnileliomatic with the Sicilians Improvisers Orchestra (Superpang Records, 2022)
• Duo per Lelio with Jean Marc Montera – Live concert recording at Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Sala Perrierain, Palermo, Italy (Bandcamp, 2022) All sales go to the arts organization Curva Minore.
• Thollem’s Astral Traveling Sessions – 25 album series – formal and live recordings from Thollem’s 2019 tour edited, mastered, and released during the 2020 lockdown (Astral Spirits Records, 2020-21)
• Lone Pine Road with Michael Bisio (Setola di Maiale, 2018)
• Live In Our Time with André Stjames and Tim DuRoche (ESP-Disk’, 2018)
• Your Letter Must Have Followed Me All Over The World – Microtonal Piano Album in collaboration with Clem Fortuna (Two Rooms Records, 2018)
• Dub Narcotic Session Vol II with Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Todd Clouser (A Love Electric) (Personal Archives Records, 2018) 
• Blind Curves And Box Canyons – Duo with Rob Mazurek – Recorded in conjunction with Rob’s “Marfa Loops, Shouts, Hollers” (Relative Pitch, 2017)
• Rencontres Électriques / with Cercle pour la Libération du Son et de L’Image and Yochk’o Sefer (ACEL Liberté, 2016)
• Two Piano Concert at The Philadelphia Museum Of Art with Michael Snow (Edgetone Records, 2015)
• Nashville Electric with Ed Pettersen, Ryan Norris, Tracy Silverman, Dylan Simon (Edgetone Records, 2015)
• The View From Up with Marco Rogliano/Francesco Dillon/Daniele Roccato (Setola Di Maiale, 2014)
• Volcanic Gremlin Magnet with Million Brazilians (Psychic Sounds, 2014)
• Rufus Distillery Limited with Gregg Skloff (Union Pole Tapes, 2014)
• In the Valley of the Cloudbuilder with John Dieterich (Post-Consumer Records, 2013)
• Emergency Management Heist by Soar Trio with Skeeter C.R. Shelton & Joel Peterson – Dedicated to Faruq Z. Bey (Edgetone Records, 2013)
• Polishing the Mirror by Magimc Trio with Edoardo Marraffa and Stefano Giust (Amirani Records, 2012)
• AllForNow with John Dieterich (Dromos Records, 2010)
• On Debussy’s Piano And… with Stefano Scodanibbio (Die Schachtel, 2010)
• Noble Art with Nicola Guazzaloca (Amirani Records, 2009)
• Gigantomachia with Arrington de Dionyso, Gregg Skloff & John Niekrasz (ESP-Disk’, 2009)
• Intuition, Science, And Sex by 10,000 Tigers with Arrington de Dionyso (Edgetone Records, 2008)
• Two Revolutions by Box Deserter Ensemble with Hasan Abdur-Razzaq, Michael Carey, Marko Novachcoff, Joel Peterson, Kurt Prisbe, Steven Baker (Edgetone Records, 2007)
• Sono Contento Di Stare Qua with Edoardo Ricci (Edgetone Records, 2006)

2021