Other Minds is pleased to present The Light is Real, featuring the trio of Thollem (voice and wavestate synthesizer), Terry Riley (voice), and Nels Cline (electric guitars, effects, and megamouth). This recording is the sixth iteration of the Thollem/Cline trio, with previous installments including performances by William Parker, Pauline Oliveros, and Michael Wimberly.
The origins of this recording go back to an epiphany Thollem experienced in Northern New Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. While watching the sunlight stream through a window, two thoughts came to him: “the light is real” and “Terry Riley.” Soon after proposing a collaboration to Riley, the pair were meeting online to vocalize, investigating breath and light together across a 10 hour time difference. Thollem sampled these recordings using his synthesizer and invited Nels Cline to record with him in response to the recordings with Riley. The result of that process is The Light is Real.
The infinite possibility of light encapsulated in these incredible, wonderful sounds. Brad Rose, The Foxy Digitalis Podcast, December 2023
It’s a fantastic work, rich in textures, repetitive vocal utterances, hints of melodies, and creative use of the electric guitar…. I, for one, would like to hear more of this trio. Mark Daelmans-Sikkel, Vital Weekly Number 1420. January 2024
…an elusive, constantly shifting landscape of indefinable textures, with Riley’s syllabic play and dhrupad drones welling up like a chorus of ghosts. Daniel Spicer, The Wire, May 2024
1 · The Light is Real Before, 18:09
2 · The Light is Real After, 18:19
