Holly Herndon “PROTO” (4AD, 2019) – review by Mikkel Rørbo When it comes to Holly Herndon’s third album, “PROTO”, all anyone wants to talk about, it seems, is artificial intelligence. It’s everywhere at the moment; in my own work as well, which is why I thought I’d find it ever so compelling. But really, to just focus on this ...

Live report by Cameron Pagett Most of the crowd have finished their food in the lounge outside of Alice CPH on a mild and breezy spring afternoon. I nibble at a half-eaten chocolate chip cookie just after introductions to Alexandra Drewchin (Eartheater) and her harp expert travel mate, Marilu. It’s been only a couple minutes and we are already discussing the possibility of having my assistant, who also happens to be an opera singer, join her randomly ...

Sad Piano “Final Ears” (Anyines, 2019) – Review by Macon Holt The debut EP from Sad Piano, “Final Ears”, is a festival of digital delights but after that one drink, line or pill too many. There are moments on this record, particularly on the title track, that sound like the most atrociously cheesy MIDI jingles. But then, seconds later, these jingles are dragged through ...

Reportage and photographs by Cameron Pagett The room of Pumpehuset’s main stage is empty. Empty but for two zany lighting technicians playing DJ to a pair of blinking strobes. On the main stage, there is a metal bar holding a tapestry of thin, vertical, clear plastic panels, which hold a keyboard in a tiny enclosure surrounded by LED lamps quaintly behind them. Directly to ...

Preview by Macon Holt I remember back in like 2007, I met a girl at a party in some rural part of northern England so far from anything else that I think the house I was in was the village in its entirety. I found her really compelling but, as this was the phase of my life best summed by ...

The Caretaker “Everywhere at the end of time—Part 6” from History Always Favours the Winners. Review by Macon Holt. The Caretaker is no more. After being afflicted with Alzheimer’s almost three years ago by his creator, James Leyland Kirby (also known as V/Vm), he has finally succumbed to his illness with the release of “Everywhere At The End Of ...

V/A: ZONE Compilation Vol.2 (ZONE Collective). Review by Ivna Franić. The Copenhagen-based ZONE Collective is back with their second compilation, featuring another refreshing collection of tracks by underground acts mostly hailing from Denmark and the UK. Although the majority of the acts here expectedly operates between different styles of electronic and noise music—while also sharing an affinity for ...

Essay by Macon Holt “Critique is so limiting and emotionally draining. I have always wanted to do something long form, beyond opinion; dip my toe into an exploration of origin and essence; the metamorphosis of spirit into reality.” — Morf Vanderwalt, “Velvet Buzzsaw” These New Puritans are a British band, formerly on Domino records, who initially garnered attention in 2006/7 as ...

Article by Laura Juncker and Astrid Hald Today is International Women’s Day, which gives us a chance to reflect on the state of things in our immediate surroundings. To look at the workings of what we might be working with. At first glance, we might ask what do the obvious, hard-fact, explicit numbers and ratios tell us? For example, how ...