Holly Herndon will release her new album PROTO on May 10, via 4AD. The album “isn’t about A.I., but much of it was created in collaboration with her own A.I. ‘baby’, Spawn”.

The full-length includes vocalists, developers, guest contributors (Jenna Sutela, Jlin, Lily Anna Haynes, Martine Syms) and an inhuman intelligence housed in a DIY souped-up gaming PC to create a record that encompasses live vocal processing and timeless folk singing, and places an emphasis on alien song craft and new forms of communion.

“Eternal” follows the 2018 release of Holly and Jlin’s collaborative song ‘Godmother (feat. Spawn)’. The skittering track, which was created by Spawn reimagining the artworks of her ‘godmother’ Jlin in a trained model of her mother’s voice with no editing or sample trickery,

“There’s a pervasive narrative of technology as dehumanizing,” says Holly. “We stand in contrast to that. It’s not like we want to run away; we’re very much running towards it, but on our terms. Choosing to work with an ensemble of humans is part of our protocol. I don’t want to live in a world in which humans are automated off stage. I want an A.I. to be raised to appreciate and interact with that beauty.”

Holly Herndon
PROTO
4AD
LP | DL | CD

1. Birth
2. Alienation
3. Canaan (Live Training)
4. Eternal
5. Crawler
6. Extreme Love (with Lily Anna Hayes and Jenna Sutela)
7. Frontier
8. Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt
9. SWIM
10. Evening Shades (Live Training)
11. Bridge (with Martine Syms)
12. Godmother (with Jlin)
13. Last Gasp

HOLLY HERNDON
2019 TOUR DATES

4/27 – KREMS, AT, Donau Festival
5/18 – LOS ANGELES, CA, Teragram Ballroom
5/20 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August Hall
5/22 – CHICAGO, IL, Thalia Hall
7/19 – BARCELONA, ES, Sonar By Day – SonarHall
7/20 – MANCHESTER, UK, Manchester International Festival