Review: Having come to light through her captivating Movement LP and a series of singles for Rvng Intl, Holly Herndon is a shining example of the ground that can be covered through the academic approach to electronic music production. That so much of her distinctive sound is powered by the canny processing of her own voice only adds to the impact, and so it is on her follow up album which lands on indie giant 4AD. The drama and shocking sound design is palpable at every turn, with more noticeably song-based structures coming through at times, only to be side-swiped by brutal drum programming at others. With a style that no-one else could dream of coming close to, Herndon has confirmed herself to be amongst the great electronic artists of our times.
Review: There's definitely a high surge of experimental music coming out of New York at the moment, with Rvng Intl being at the forefront of this wave. Holly Herndon makes her debut for the label after an interesting first release on cassette for "Third Sex", and "Movement" sees her sound mould into a distinctive mixture of noise and synthesis experimentation. The opener, "Terminal", sets the scene for what is inevitably going to head down dark, unknown territories - its brooding bass howls protruding between glitchy noises. "Fade" adds a more familiar percussion arrangement but is quickly disemboweled by echoing lyrics and swirling polyphonies; not to mention its following track, "Breathe", another apocalyptic bundle of groans and swirling effects. "Control And" is as daunting as it is marvellous, but it's the muffled, delayed techno of "Movement" which truly stands out as Herndon's best work so far. It's her most focused moment yet, one which seems to be heading towards more grounded territories, only to be torn apart by the awkwardly brilliant "Dilato". Highly recommended!
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