Thollem’s solo electric performances weave elements of eclectic approaches inspired by 20th Century electro-acoustic explorations to musique concrete, jazz, noise, punk, synth pop, and sounds inspired by the extensive cultures he’s had the privilege to experience and work within over the years. Thollem’s solo electric approach is inspired by the instruments he works with as well as his ever wandering lifestyle and ever widening curiosity. Thollem has released well over 100 albums, 30 with an eclectic array of electric instruments, both solo and in collaboration with many different musicians on labels as diverse as Astral Spirits Records, Relative Pitch, Setola di Maiale, Personal Archives, ESP-Disk, Aural Films, New Atlantic Records and Union Pole Tapes. His performances include selections from his albums Electric Confluence, Obstacle Illusion, Hot Pursuit Of Happiness, and 13 Billion Years To Tomorrow as well as Worlds In A Life, “a reconstitution of sampled parts taken from all six Thollem/Cline Trio albums, a task performed single-handedly by Thollem using a Wavestate.”- S. Victor Aaron, Something Else!
“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
”Fearlessly eclectic” – Ernie Paik, Chattanooga Pulse
“Drenched in many musical traditions, an original brew” – Dolf Mulder, Vital Weekly
Live in Italy – solo piano and electric
“An intense and virtuosic keyboardist.” – Time Out, New York
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Thollem was exposed to the music of a wide array of communities that influenced his development as a musician. Thollem’s released several solo albums on Aural Films Records (San Francisco) and Setola di Maiale (Italy) including A Day In The Leap, Who Are U.S., Operation Sunbeam and Worlds In A Life as well as a few directly to Bandcamp including Electric Confluence, Howled Ground and 13 Billion Years To Tomorrow. Obstacle Illusion was released in the spring on of 2022 on Astral Spirits Records and Hot Pursuit Of Happiness came out on Personal Archives in the fall of 2022.
“His omnivorous interest in styles and format is dizzying, but he maintains a steady focus on
Electric Confluence, an album comprised simply of solo synth instrumentals. Thollem uses this formalist restriction to launch into a wide array of sounds, gliding all over the map in pursuit of whatever next idea interests him. What we’re left with is a record full of surprises that both engages and challenges the ears.” – Marc Masters, Bandcamp
“Thollem’s eclecticism can be mind-boggling” – The Isthmus, Madison, WI
”Transgresses genre boundaries as much as he transcends them” – Dave Wayne, All About JazzNY
“…bringing wide-ranging expression and invention to everything his restless, nomadic existence comes into contact with. Thollem’s maverick essence is magically evident.” – Nels Cline, Bandcamp