Pamela Z is noted for her inventive approach to vocal-based composition and performance, utilizing live electronic processing to create complex, hypnotic pieces that incorporate operatic bel canto as well as speech and found sounds. The San Francisco-based artist has been using looping techniques in her work since the early '80s, and in her more recent performances, she uses custom MIDI controllers in order to manipulate audio and visuals. Aside from her solo performances, Z has composed large-scale media works, original scores for choreographers and video artists, and a one-act opera. She has also been commissioned to compose music for chamber ensembles such as Kronos Quartet and the Bang on a Can Allstars, and has been granted several awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. Though her work has appeared on numerous compilations since the 1980s, Z's solo album discography consists of only three releases, from 1988's Echolocation to 2021's A Secret Code.