
Artist statement
Tomaž Grom (Ljubljana, 1972), double bass player, author.
I understand music as a medium of communication rather than aesthetic pleasure. I want to find reasons for making music. Uncompromisingly I prod at social norms. Music for me is a form of seeking, unanswered questions, flow of ideas, unpredictable situations. Composition is improvisation. Improvisations offers me space to lose myself, to make mistakes, to come up with intriguing solutions. In music, challenges invite thinking and open new possibilities. I miss a deep and complex analysis.
I performed at festivals across Europe and North America, and composed music for numerous theater, contemporary dance, puppet performances and movies. I am making video portraits of Slovenian artists for web portal Centralala.si.
According to my idea, a feature-length documentary Balkan Whispers, directed by Boris Petkovič, was made. My film Can’t Wait For You To Come was premiered in January 2021.
I am the founder and artistic director of Zavod Sploh, an associaton devoted to the production of music and performing arts as well as to education and publishing in the field. I curate music festival Sound Disobedience. I also curated concert cycles Confine aperto (from 2005 until 2018), Zvokotok (from 2014 until 2018) and Neforma (from 2010 until 2014). I am the author of the performances Keemo, Carte Blanche, Rib Cage, Bruto, Ništrc, Forgotten, Overlooked, Soul, Noize, Valve and Wire, sound installation Skladba za harmoniko and a long term project iMstrument.
My closest collaborators in performing arts and movies are: Špela Trošt, Bojan Jablanovec, Tomi Janežič, Loup Abramovici, Špela Čadež, Iztok Kovač …
As an improviser in addition to occasional collaborations (Michel Doneda, Jonas Kocher, Pascal Battus, Nate Wooley, Seijiro Murayama, Marc Ribot, Sonny Simmons, Doug Hammond, Axel Dörner, Eduardo Raon, Matija Schellander, Ana Kravanja, Kaja Draksler, Martin Küchen, Drago Ivanuša …), I often work with the following musicians: Samo Kutin, Vid Drašler, Jošt Drašler, Irena Z. Tomažin, Andrej Fon, Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec, Zlatko Kaučič…
I play in the following groups: Kutin / Grom (with Samo Kutin on hurdi gurdi), Tomažin / Grom (with Irena Z. Tomažin on voice), Samo Gromofon, Šalter Ensemble, Oholo! (with Vid and Jošt Drašler, Andrej Boštjančič, Marko Jenič, Andrej Fon, Jure Boršič) Dörner / Grom and Kaučič / Grom (with Zlatko Kaučič on drums.