onewaynessHANDMADE MUSIC FOR MACHINES

onewayness is Adam Holquist, a composer, musician, sound designer, and multimedia creator from Erie, Pennsylvania. He uses guitars, pianos, analog and digital synthesis, spoken word and field recordings, and a variety of hardware and software tools to create atmospheric and textural music which draws influence from a variety of sources.  These may include: ambient, drone, minimalism, post-rock, and vintage and contemporary electronic 'listening music'.

Adam performs and tours regularly, appearing at festivals, galleries, cafés, dive bars, art spaces, basements, and the occasional laundromat throughout the US and in Canada. Since 2011, he has given hundreds of live performances, and has released over 40 albums and EP’s between various creative entities. His work has been featured on a number of both terrestrial and streaming radio stations, has charted on Zone Music Reporter’s weekly Top 100 ambient music airplay charts, and has been positively reviewed by a variety of publications both in the US and abroad.

In addition to recording and performing as onewayness, Adam is a member of the duo embral, with longtime collaborator Charles Shriner [dRachEmUsiK], and also regularly performs in both composed and improvised group settings with a variety of local and global collaborators. Adam has created original music and sound design for theatre, independent films, and art installations; serves as curator of the ElectroFLUX Experimental Music Series, which presents creative music from local, regional, and international artists at various Erie venues; and has served as the producer and co-host of Social Distancing Variety Hour, a weekly live streaming video program and podcast focused on the arts, politics, and current events.


Adam is a recipient of a 2023 Erie Arts & Culture Lydia McCain Artist Fellowship. Made possible by contributions to the Arts & Culture Campaign and the Lydia McCain Fund of the Erie Arts Endowment.

[Photo: Elaine Marschik]