By: Dylan Bowker
In an ever changing world, Thor Harris mediates between the chaos and order.
Thor’s early influences in music spanned from funk and minimalist classical to pop and electronic music. Through all genres though, there’s an underlying connectivity where it’s all about expressing just enough and knowing when to pull back. Not squishing a massive cluster of notes together in a display of self congratulatory behaviour. There’s a patience and methodology to this which was likely reinforced by Thor’s early years as an art teacher. Thor’s mother was a career educator so this is something that he grew up with. A mentality of nurturing, calculated forward progression, and building every day.
There’s an obvious love for the records Thor grew up with but he also loves the new music he has access to today. A career musician for many years could risk getting jaded but Thor still has a clear enthusiasm. Thor consciously never wanted to become that established artist who had their flame snuffed out. He never forgot the vital energy that coursed through him as a budding young musician. The percussionist and multi-instrumentalist expresses himself in a wide variety of ways. Thor crafts his own instruments by hand which offers uniquely intimate tonalities that few, if any, can mirror. There’s something beautiful about Thor having the skill, love and patience to create the tools of his trade.
Thor is a busy individual who has been in a number of projects. Acts such as Swans, Thor and Friends, Shearwater, and so many more. Being involved in multiple groups has allowed him to work with a number of band leaders. Thor knows that there isn’t a be all and end all approach for keeping a band going. Bill Callahan was a super laid back individual whereas Micheal Gira of Swans was regimented and ran rehearsals for many hours each day. The approach with Swans makes sense though as they have many compositions that clock in at well over the ten or twenty minute marks. This can make things feel less like mere jamming and more like an arduous, grueling tribal ritual for a percussionist. Thor maintained a hearty workout regime just to be able to perform the music of Swans properly.
The marrying together of sun and light, sprawling compositions along with conventional verse-chorus structures, etc. Thor has expressed himself in a way that covers a lot of the sonic spectrum. Swans is a project of his I love and they are known for these grinding, off kilter dirges throughout their records. The arrangements are so long and punishing that I had to ask about what percussion duties were like. Thor admits to becoming lost in these sort of arrangements and relies on musician chemistry a lot. This is helpful in navigating the vast, layered body of sound that the band is projecting. This mentality of locking in with others and working together for the best results is a mindset that seems to extend far beyond band member dynamics.
That combination of the melodic and discordant reveals itself in other aspects of his life beyond music. Thor is someone who has dealt with intense mental health issues. Thor has bravely chronicled his struggles in the book An Ocean of Despair and discussed things in a way that was cathartic for many. Thor is living proof that there is a better tomorrow and that things can turn around. He feels incredible power and purposefulness helping people get through their own mental health issues through the relaying of his own experiences. I asked Thor if he begrudged society’s tendency to romanticize the depressed, tortured artist archetype. Thor was not bothered by this but mentioned that we need more positive people out there making music.
Thor is a super optimistic person but even he addressed concerns relating to Trump. Thor doesn’t care for Donald’s approach to his position or the actions of his supporters but he still finds a silver lining in the situation. Thor combed through his musical knowledge of protest artists like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. He sees positivity in protesting and the socio-political climate today can create another fertile art period. Thor’s attitude towards the planet extends beyond mere ideologies though. There’s a deep caring for the future of the earth as it is in the throes of climate change. It was refreshing to have a back and forth with Thor about the anthropocene era and how things could improve down the line.
The multiplicity of motivation is also found in Thor’s recent controversies on social media. Thor posted a brief video detailing the processes of punching a nazi and described all members of the Republican party with that tag. Those details were focused on by many blogs but Thor prefaced everything by advocating for peaceful protest above all. Violence was a last case scenario for him. Despite his desire to ward off people he sees as hateful, Thor still ultimately leaned towards peace over all. Despite the clear tone of this being a last resort motive, Twitter elected to ban Thor from their site. Thor has since been reinstated however.
Even though he could afford to rest on his laurels at this point, Thor keeps taking on new challenges. There’s a Thor and Friends project set to come out early this year. There’s also rumblings of a collaborative project with versatile saxophonist Colin Stetson (Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Animal Collective) which got me pretty fired up. There are many more ideas within Thor that he wants to get out there in the world. We need people like Thor who can gaze into vast darkness and reveal a light from it. An artist who dives into the unpleasant but can detail outcomes for a better tomorrow. Capturing a poignant, intimate feeling in the vacuum of the moment. Connecting with the most people possible for the longest period of time possible.
Presidencies end, bands lose members, but the power and candor of Thor Harris’ music will endure for all time.