MonoNeon

Dywane Eric Thomas Jr. (born August 6, 1990), professionally known as MonoNeon, is an American bassist, experimental musician, singer and songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee, raised in Orange Mound.^[1] His work, spanning multiple experimental projects and collaborations, including with American musician Prince. MonoNeon was the last bassist Prince hired before his death in 2016.^[2][3] He has since become known for his harmonized viral videos, and his compositions and playing style that utilize microtonality.^[4] MonoNeon has worked, performed and recorded with Pete Rock, Bon Iver, Ne-Yo, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Zedd, Mavis Staples, Jacob Collier, John Scofield and George Clinton.^[5][6] MonoNeon has also produced original music featuring Katt Williams rapping.^[7] In 2021, MonoNeon won his first Grammy for his contribution on Nas album King's Disease as the bassist and additional producer on the song "All Bad" (credited as "MnoNeon").^[8]

Thomas was raised in a musical family, the son of a bass guitarist, Dywane Thomas, played with The Bar-Kays, Pops Staples, Denise LaSalle, J. Blackfoot, and Zucchero.^[9][10] MonoNeon's grandfather was jazz pianist, Charles Thomas, played with Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, etc.^[11] He began playing bass at the age of four years old, independent of formal lessons (self-taught), playing in church and practicing in his grandma's living room.^[12] When he was about 11 or 12 years old, he performed with Bar-Kays, playing bass guitar. Larry Dodson would call Thomas on stage to play a bass solo with the band.^[13]

At 16 years old, MonoNeon played bass in church under the mentorship of gospel singer Shea Norman.^[14]

During his brief stay at Berklee College of Music MonoNeon studied microtonality and performed with David Fiuczynski.^[15]

In 2009, Thomas was featured on the GospelChops Bass Sessionz Vol.1 project with Andrew Gouche, Hadrien Feraud, Damian Erskine, Janek Gwizdala, Anthony Nembhard, and Robert "Bubby" Lewis.^[16][17]

In 2010, Thomas played bass on the Libra Scale album by Grammy Award-winning artist Ne-Yo,^[18] and the album Directions by Forest Won with Georgia Anne Muldrow.^[19] Thomas was featured in the article, "Bass to the Future", in issue 52 of the UK Bass Guitar magazine.^[20]

In 2012, MonoNeon joined David Fiuczynski and Planet Microjam. Also in 2012, he released his solo avant-garde album, Down-to-Earth Art as MonoNeon.^[21]

In early 2013, Thomas released an album called Southern Visionary under the pseudonym MonoNeon. This album features several microtonal musicians.^[22][23] He also released an album entitled Uncle Curtis Answered The Lobster Telephone.^[24][25]

MonoNeon teamed up with producer Kriswontwo to release an EP called, WEON.^{[26][27][28][29]}

July 2014, MonoNeon made his debut performance as the bassist for Screaming Headless Torsos at Jalisco Jazz Festival in Mexico.^[30]

In 2017, MonoNeon joined Miles Electric Band, a group led by Miles Davis nephew Vince Wilburn Jr. (drummer) and keyboardist Robert Irving III.^[31] He performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Kat Graham.^[32]

July 7, 2018, MonoNeon played a show with Joe Russo and Eric Krasno billed as (nO*sO*nO*). While the three musicians have played together on many occasions in various other supergroup formations, this marked the first performance as a dedicated trio under this moniker. For most of the two-set performance, surprise guest keyboardist Peter Levin (Gregg Allman Band) played on several numbers. Relying heavily on improvisation, (nO*sO*nO*) dug deep into the funk, jazz, and psychedelic rock catalogs. Covers of Jimi Hendrix's “Manic Depression”, The Beatles‘ “Get Back”, Billy Cobham's “Stratus”, and John Scofield's “Hottentot”, appeared throughout the free-flowing jams and captivated the audience with their supersonic chemistry.

In 2021 MonoNeon teamed up with Davy Nathan and released "Supermane", a full-length album featuring 8 tracks. The track "Done with the B-S", a duet with MonoNeon and Ledisi was featured in Rolling Stone magazine.^[33] The album was produced, written and recorded by MonoNeon and Davy Nathan in Nathan's home studio in Los Angeles. They describe the album as a step outside of the vocal comfort zone of MonoNeon.

MonoNeon was nominated for a Grammy in 2021 for his bass work on Jacob Collier’s album Djesse Vol. 3, on the song "In My Bones". Djesse Vol. 3 was nominated for Album of the Year.^[34]

For the 65th Grammys MonoNeon was Grammy nominated for his work on Cory Henry's album, "Operation Funk" (Best Progressive R&B Album nomination). MonoNeon is one of the writers, guitarist and bassist on the songs "Ecstasy" and "The Line".^[35]

For 68th Grammys MonoNeon was nominated for his bass work on Eric Gales' album "A Tribute to LJK" (nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album).^[36]

In 2015, MonoNeon began playing bass with Prince and his protégé, Judith Hill. Some of the live shows have been at Paisley Park.^[37][38][39]

On 11 January 2016, Tidal released the track Ruff Enuff by MonoNeon, only four and a half days after its initial recording. The instrumental track features Prince as producer and on keyboards. The following day, the track was replaced with a vocal version with lead vocals on vocoder by Adrian Crutchfield.^[40]

The linernotes provided with the track state:

You may recognize Kirk A Johnson on drums, Mono Neon on bass and Adrian Crutchfield on sax and electric woodwinds as the house band 4 Prince’s Paisley Park After Dark Jam Sessions. Well, that’s not all they do. 4 the past week they’ve been cutting basic trax 4 their as yet untitled debut album. With Prince producing and handling the keyboard & guitar duties, the set promises 2 b picking up right where Judith Hill’s BACK IN TIME left off. These brothas murder the funk! Normally they wouldn’t let a track out until it’s finished, but this one had 2 go! It was ruining everybody’s good loox. If U think U can resist the funk, check out the key change of Mono’s bass solo at near 4 o'clockmark.^[41]

When Prince wasn't playing his solo piano shows, he was breaking in a new band at Paisley Park with MonoNeon as his new bassist.^[42][43]

MonoNeon has produced music for comedian Katt Williams featuring Katt rapping, including two tracks that blend psychedelic funk, hip-hop and R&B influences. “God Reason” features George Clinton and James Fauntleroy and “You Can Be A Winner” features Lil Mo and Fauntleroy. Katt came to Memphis, TN to record at Court Square Recordings.^[44][45]

While Thomas is right-handed, he plays left-handed on an upside down right-handed bass guitar, which allows him to use heavy string bending on the upper strings, inspired by Albert King as a kid.^[46] Thomas' slapping style/technique is unique because he is executing everything upside-down, while traditionally using the thumb for slaps and fingers for pops. In a free/improvisational setting, listeners may hear the use of Indian melodic inflections and ornaments in Thomas' playing, including the use of gamakas. Another trademark is his use of randomness and mistakes in performance, taking unintentional ideas made in error, and spontaneously turning them into usable or intentional material.^[47][48]

MonoNeon's overall playing style on bass can be described as "funky with unusual characteristics". His sound is a combination of bold use of dissonance, playing a few cents off from 12-tone equal temperament (microtones) and unpredictable phrasing. Marcus Miller, among others, has praised his unique playing style. His musical background is heavily influenced by Southern soul, blues and funk.^[49] In a Bass Player magazine interview, Miller mentioned Thomas as one of several "young bad cats" he has met on the scene.^[50]

Thomas' experimental approach has been compared to the 20th century composer John Cage.^[51] The idea of conceptual art plays a role in his musical sensibilities, as reflected in his early 2011 recordings. Thomas began developing an idea of bass accompanying improvisations with an AM/FM radio. The improvisations/compositions are based on radio art, some of which can be heard on his album entitled Introspection of PolyNeon. The "Polyneon" concept is something Thomas created through introspection and when he stopped thinking about the goal of becoming or being a great musician.^[52]

Thomas is notable for his "readymade bass", inspired by his love for Dadaism and other avant garde art movements. The primary characteristics of the "readymade bass" is the ordinary sock covering the entire headstock and the name “MonoNeon” on the body of his bass. The use of colorful duct tape and other mundane items upon his basses has become a defining visual style for Thomas.^[53][54][55]

A microtonal bass built for MonoNeon by Tim Cloonan of CallowHill Guitars. The bass is built to play quarter tones.^[56]

Microtonal–southern soul is an experimental musical approach developed by MonoNeon, combining the harmonic language of microtonal music with stylistic elements of Southern soul and funk. The term has been used by MonoNeon to describe a series of minimalistic productions, compositions and recordings beginning in the early 2011s, including works from his album Southern Visionary (2013) and related singles. MonoNeon frequently employs quarter-tone intervals and subtle "out-of-tune" pitch inflections, creating a sound that departs from standard Western tuning while retaining a recognizable funk and Southern soul foundation.^[57][58][59]

MonoNeon's sense of fashion, with custom vibrant quilted outfits, high visibility/dayglo color schemes and crochet masks, mirrors his music, which is just as unconventional and expressive. In 2024 MonoNeon recorded a song called "Quilted" featuring George Clinton, expressing his love for quilted clothes.^[60][61]

• "Polyneon" (2010)
• "Introspection of PolyNeon" (2011)
• "Noise Catharsis" (2011)
• "Johnnie Taylor and John Cage" (2011)
• "The Kitschy EP" (2011)
• "MonoNeon" (2012)
• "Ming Neon" (2012)
• "Down-to-Earth Art" (2012)
• "Southern Visionary" (2013)
• "Uncle Curtis Answered The Lobster Telephone" (2013)
• "John Cage on Soul Train" (2014)^[64]
• "MonoNeon Plays Speech" (2015)
• "Selfie Quickie" (2015)
• "Selfie Quickie 2wooo" (2017)^[65]
• "Welcome 2 Whateva The Fyuck" (2017) ^[66]
• A Place Called Fantasy (2017) ^[67]
• "I Don't Care Today (Angels & Demons in Lo-Fi)" (2018)
• "My Feelings Be Peeling" (2019)
• "Living The Best And Worst Life At The Same Damn Time!" (2019)
• "Toxic Wasteland 2 The Hills" (2020)^[68]
• "Banana Peel on Capitol Hill" (2021)
• "Gospel According to the Little Green Man - EP" (2021)
• "Supermane" (2021)^[69]
• "Basquiat & Skittles Album" (2021)
• "Put on Earth for You" (2022)
• "Mononeon Farts Live In Memphis" (2022)
• "There Goes That Man Again Turning Water Into Gin & Juice" (2022)
• "Jelly Belly Dirty Somebody" (2023)
• "Wonderland's Disaster Queen EP" (2023)
• "MonoNeon On Synthesizer" (2024)
• "Quilted Stereo" (2024)
• "You Had Your Chance... Bad Attitude" (2025)
• "This Dirt Loves Me More Than You" (2026)
• "NEON DADA LIVE!" (2026)
• "NEON DADA LIVE! 2WO" (2026)

• Libra Scale (2010)

Bass on "Making A Movie"

• Ms. One (2014)^[70]

• RUFF ENUFF [single] (January 2016) ^[71][72]

Prince: producer, guitar, keyboard •

MonoNeon: bass, featured artist •

Kirk Johnson: drums •

Adrian Crutchfield: saxophone, vocoder

• Circles (2020)

MonoNeon played bass on the song, "Complicated" ^[73]

• PeteStrumentals 3 (2020) ^[74]

• WEON (2013)

• Neon the Won (2015)^[75]

• Ceremoni (2015) - MonoNeon played bass on the song "Elevations" featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow

• Phunkin Tribe Interludes (2024)^[76]

MonoNeon featured on guitar and bass on all tracks

• The Cookout Chronicles (2016)

MonoNeon: producer, bass, microtonal keyboard, drum programming on "Chunky"

• Lifetime Achievement Award (2025)

featured artist, bass on the song "Shit I Use To Do"

• The Coldest Winter (2014)^[77]

featured artist, bass on the song "Lost"

• The Videotape (2019)^[78]

featured artist, bass on the song "Elevators"

• Djesse Vol. 3 (2020)^[79]

Electric bass on the song "In My Bones"

• Odyssey [single] (2025]^[80]

featured artist, bass

• Schizophrenia: The Yang Project (2019)

• Paranoia (2022)

• The Pillar (2018)^[81]

featured artist, bass on the song "The Trap"

• With The Music (2020)

MonoNeon played bass on the songs "With The Music" and "The Freedom" ^[82]

• King's Disease (2020)

Bass and additional producer on "All Bad", credited as 'MnoNeon'

• The Power Of One (2020)

MonoNeon played bass on the song “Bewise”^[83]

• Knower Forever (2023)

MonoNeon played bass on songs: "The Abyss", "Real Nice Moment", "Nightmare", "It Will Get Real", "Bonus Track"

• Scary Goldings IV (2021)

• Natural Brown Prom Queen (2022)

Bass, keyboard, drums, producing and writing credits on "It's Already Done"

• Operation Funk (2022)

Writer, guitar on "Ecstasy" and electric bass, rhythm guitar on "The Line"

• The Bookends (2019)

• A Tribute To LJK (Little Jimmy King) (2025) ^[84]

Bass, rhythm guitar and writer on albums:

• Swagism (2018)

• Mustard n'Onions (2024)

• Finding Myself Again (2019)

MonoNeon played rhythm guitar and bass on the song "Walking uP"

• Remedy (2024)

MonoNeon played rhythm guitar and bass on the song "Remedy"

• The Beginning (2025)

Featured artist, bass and rhythm guitar on "Time To Make A Change"

• Sable, Fable (2025) ^[85]

Bass on "Day One" and "I'll Be There"

• "God Reason" [feat. Katt Williams, George Clinton and James Fauntleroy] (2025)^[86]

MonoNeon: producer, writer, vocals, electric sitar, bass, keyboards, drum programming

• "You Can Be A Winner" [feat. Katt Williams, James Fauntleroy and Lil' Mo] (2025)^[87]

MonoNeon: producer, writer, vocals, bass, keyboards, drum programming

• Crusty Neon Missionary Baptist Church, (2025)^[88]

• Bottom Feeder (featuring George Clinton), (2026) [single]^[89]

• Oblivion (When The World Is Tossing Me), (2026) [single]^[90]

• THA DUMB STUFF (featuring George Clinton), (2026) [single]^[91]