*I didn't write this interesting press release from Holly Herndon's record label, but I kind of wish that I had line-edited it in my copious spare time. Probably I would have expanded somewhat on the "sci-fi hellscape where the machines take over."
Technology empowers creation of all kinds. By way of modern advancements and innovations, new artforms prosper, life expectancy extends, and artificial intelligence gains awareness. The capabilities of such developments should be explored, employed, and embraced. Rather than dimming and darkening the future, they burgeon and brighten it.
Case in point, Holly Herndon operates at the nexus of technological evolution and musical catharsis. On her third full-length album PROTO[4AD], the performer and composer fronts and conducts an electronic pop choir comprised of both human and A.I. voices over a musical palette that encompasses everything from synths to Sacred Harp stylings.
“Our vision of technology is that it enables relationships and liberates us to be more human together, which it so often is not designed to do” she exclaims. (((I probably could have written all this myself, except I wouldn't have used the word "exclaims.")))
“There’s a pervasive narrative of it as dehumanizing. We stand in contrast to that. It’s not like we want to run away from technology; we’re very much running towards it.”
At full speed too...Since her arrival in 2012, Holly has successfully mined the edges of electronic and Avant Garde pop and emerged with a dynamic and disruptive canon of her own. Born in the mountains of East Tennessee, (((I didn't know that – maybe Holly should cover some Loretta Lynn))) she went from singing in church to enrolling in a German exchange program. Adopting Berlin as a second home, she cut her teeth (((ouch))) performing in the city’s clubs prior to attending Mills College.
The musical palette started to expand as she utilized the laptop as “the most intimate instrument,” cultivating live voice processing systems and eventually developing custom vocal patches (((I hope those don't require surgery))) to construct experimental pieces to be performed in real-time. She put those pieces into play on the likes of ‘Breathe’ and ‘Dilato’ from her full-length debut, Movement – which drew on her musical and academic pursuits alike.
As she researched platform politics for her phD at Stanford, she assembled her 2015 sophomore offering Platform. (((One hell of a record, ladies and gentlemen.))). Telematic performance at Stanford fueled ‘DAO’ and integrated custom sampling of daily activities online into the songcraft of ‘Chorus’ and ‘Home.’ Platform closed out 2015 by gracing year-end lists from Pitchfork, The Guardian, NME, and The Wire. (((Also, I paid real money for it off iTunes.)))
Primarily composed alongside collaborators online, it holds the distinction of being “the first commercially released album to include a track intended to trigger autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).” In the aftermath, Radiohead handpicked her to open up its European tour as tracks like ‘Chorus’ and ‘Interference’ entranced countless listeners.
Along the way, she quietly pieced together what would become PROTO alongside cohort Matthew Dryhurst. ((("Cohort"?))) In addition to assembling a Berlin-based “ensemble of vocalists," Holly and Mat “gave birth to an A.I. baby” affectionately named Spawn — who also joined the fold. Housed in a souped-up gaming PC, they set no learning parameters for Spawn. (((It must have been challenging for an unmarried cohort to give birth while housed in a gaming PC.)))
Instead, custom converters warped openly available machine-leaning programming to push code to actually manipulate sound. As a result, Spawn learned on her own from Mat, Holly, and collaborator and developer Jules LaPlace. Holly and Mat hosted the other ensemble vocalists at their home during weekly “learning sessions.” They served soup (((what KIND of soup?))), improvised, and sang as their synthetic child mimicked.
“We wanted to put together a community of artists for this,” she goes on. “There’s no escaping the hours in front of the computer, but we also craved a very physical in-person sound and the experience of music-making. Platform was platform-based in terms of its genesis as we were primarily working with people over the internet. I grew up singing in choirs, and I missed that call-and-response and mutual inspiration. This
time, it was important for us that the body and emotions weren’t removed from the conversation.
"‘Protocol’ has many meanings. The most foundational principles of a technical system, but also human principles. Choosing to work with an ensemble of humans was a statement of principle that also relates to A.I. I don’t want to live in a world in which humans are automated off stage. Spawn was an ensemble member. Everyone was unique, but could work together as a unit. The meetings created a baseline trust, so they’d be willing to try something seemingly crazy,” laughs Holly.
Sonically, the record assumed a level of palpable definition — with vocals often tracked live in a room together. Rather than using her voice as an instrument, Holly took on the role of lead protagonist as the ensemble voices mirrored what might typically be a prominent guitar or synth part. The lyrics became more audible, augmented with human and inhuman harmony.
Continuing the academic journey, she additionally researched for her Doctoral Thesis on the aesthetic role and potential of protocols throughout the process.The first single ‘Godmother’ [feat. Jlin and Spawn] thrives on skittering beatboxing by Spawn culled from Holly’s speech. Its glitchy beats and industrial grit underscore their creation’s sonic sentience with raw emotion.
“’Godmother’ is obviously a really ugly piece of music, but that was the point,” Mat explains. “So many idealizations of this music will sanitize it. This was an illustrative piece of music for where the tech is at. It’s a raw moment of Spawn creating percussive sounds from her own imagination like a baby babbling and mimicking its parents. Humans replicate digital processes; digital intelligences replicate humans.” (((This is the part where the scheme segues from endearingly eccentric into genuinely weird.)))
The ghostly transmissions of ‘Eternal’ intimate an infinite, immortal love often projected in vampire lore punctuated by grandiose orchestration and a caustic caterwaul. Meanwhile, Holly offers up her interpretation of Appalachian Sacred Harp music on the emotionally charged sonic pioneering of ‘Frontier.’ (((This is wandering into Manly Wade Wellman "Silver John" territory.)))
“At a Sacred Harp meet up, the singers sit in a square or circle, facing each other and singing loudly a capella,” she goes on. “When I stood in the middle of one, I started crying, because it was so incredible. It’s really a part of rural Southern culture, so I was curious to try to bring it into the Holly Herndon universe and offer up an environmental message.”
Whether it’s the life-affirming groan of “Birth” or the “last gasp before leaping” during ‘Last Gasp,’ PROTO hinges on the unity of these voices as one offbeat and overpowering force. It also hints at more to come as Holly affirms, “It feels like we’re approaching a paradigm shift.” (((Nobody ever explains how to grab a shifting paradigm by the scruff of its neck and put it back in the can.)))
Just as Platform sparked commentary on “platform politics” prior to zeitgeist acceptance, PROTO is a precursor to a new global evolution. One that feels ripe for creation.
“I’d like for people to have a sense of agency when approaching technology in their lives,” Holly leaves off. “I want them to know there’s a future that doesn’t sound like the past. It doesn’t have be some sort of sci-fi hellscape where the machines take over. It can be beautiful.”
