Efren Maldonado of 12 Rods, Plastik Boxes has died
by Reed Fischer
June 11, 2024
Efren Luis Maldonado, keyboardist for Minneapolis-based alt-rock acts 12 Rods and Plastik Boxes, has died at the age of 49. According to a funeral notice, Maldonado died unexpectedly on Friday, June 7. No further details about his death were provided.
Maldonado — a lover of music, film, and animals — was born in St. Paul in 1975, and grew up in Hastings, Minnesota.
He loved listening to music from a young age, according to his parents, and used to carry around his portable Fischer Price record player everywhere. He took piano lessons when he was in elementary school for short time, but only wanted to listen to music. He didn’t get back into the piano until he was about 20 or 21, and was completely self-taught. From then on, he studied theory on his own to learn different chord progressions, and practiced for hours each day.
“When Efren and I first met, he had only one keyboard and one drum machine,” says his wife Kim Tohm. “I've since lost count as to how many keyboards and gadgets there are. He had only been playing for a couple years, but he was very dedicated to learning and writing. He basically spent seven years [between ages 21-28] learning and practicing. It was the beginning of his signature sounds.”
Tohm notes that he was a student of the Minneapolis Sound, especially Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and a disciple of jazz great Bill Evans. When Tohm and Maldonado started dating in 2000, they often went to see Dr. Mambo’s Combo perform and caught overnight Prince sessions at Paisley Park. A gifted Maldonado also helped other artists showcase their talents, as was the case for this video he helped produce for JayBee & the Routine.
“My best friend, business partner and band mate over the last 5 years,” 12 Rods frontman Ryan Olcott wrote in a tribute on Facebook. “He was so much to me. I’m very grateful for my time spent with him. My deepest condolences to the Maldonado and Tohm families. Rest in peace, brother.”
Maldonado performed with 12 Rods at First Avenue in July of 2023, a show celebrating the release of the new album If We Stayed Alive. The band also completed a U.S. tour from late April to early May of this year.
“To those who had never met him, my first description of Efren has always been: ‘well, for one, he’s a musical genius,’” writes Greg Johnson, Maldonado’s bandmate in Plastik Boxes. “Far beyond that, he was larger than life in every way and the void that he leaves behind is immeasurable.”
Johnson (Greg Online) and Maldonado (Pye Luis) first met in 2014 when they played a show together. They formed Plastik Boxes in 2019, and released an EP, two full-length albums, and two singles. “Both of the full-lengths that we did, half of the songs were written by me, and then half were written by him,” Johnson says. “You can just tell the songs that Efren wrote. loved playing them more than the ones I wrote … That's the direction we were headed. And I wish we could keep going that direction, just leaning into his sound. He was so inspiring.”
Maldonado also released work and produced for other artists under the Pye Luis name outside of the group, including collaborations with vocalist Devata Daun (2018’s Pye Luis), with Garrison Grouse (Pye Luix X Garry G), the 2019 EP Roland Garros, and the 2020 album As We Are. He documented his work extensively on the Pye Luis Instagram. He also did work behind the camera, such as filming the music video for his song “Soft Crush.”
Tohm notes that photography and videography were his main passions beyond music. “He always had a camera with him — loved taking pictures of everything,” she says, noting his favorite film director was David Fincher. “He could find some creative angle with anything. He also was an avid film buff. As with music, he would feed on interviews with his favorite directors and cinematographers and could listen or watch interviews over and over again.”
“Words cannot begin to describe the emotions I am feeling to have literally lost a part of me,” Tohm wrote on Facebook. “Efren LOVED creating music. His creative passion was inspiring to so many of us and I cannot begin to think how I will possibly navigate this world without him. I am beyond devastated.”
Tohm, family, and friends hosted a celebration of life and music for Maldonado on June 26.
