Valentine’s Day with SF’s Rising Holly Herndon at Future Perfect
Holly Herndon is San Francisco’s latest up-and-coming artist since her debut full length, Movement, has gathered attention from the likes of media outlets such as Pitchfork, NPR, Fact Magazine, and The Fader.
Holly is a Tennessee native who fell in love with club culture in Berlin, where she was a high school exchange student before relocating there for college. She spent five years DJing in the techno capital, eventually pursuing electronic music academically for an MFA at Mill’s College.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e4epF8w2RA[/youtube]
Since settling into SF, she has embarked on an array of solo and collaborative work, both academically and for art’s sake. One of her projects includes the new beat outfit, Total Accomplishment, whom you’ve probably come across at Haceteria, 120 Minutes, or a similar fringe club event. The arrival of Movement came with much anticipation from her peers as a representation of who Holly has become as an artist.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kanNN4RPrgY[/youtube]
Conceptually, Movement is centered on the idea of the human body as a malleable product. She takes a good chunk of her inspiration from vocal manipulation, which comes as no surprise since she earned the Elizabeth Mill Crothers award for best composer for vocal processing experiments in 2011. What she explored in these experiments can be heard in Movement, from the eerie, synthetic feel of “Breathe” to the Stockhausen-esque command of “Dilato.” She touches on her techno roots with the four-to-the-floor acid vibes of “Fade” and the title track.
Last year, Holly came out with a tape intended for listening in a car, which she aptly titled CAR. Movement is meant to be accessible for listeners in any environment, from laptop speakers to a bass-rattling club sound system. Holly’s mindfulness for accessibility is what makes Movement a pleasing album to music lovers of intellectual inclination to the feeling-based party person.
This Valentine’s Day, you can witness Holly’s full range of dynamics as she headlines Future Perfect at Public Works with Nguzunguzu and Future Perfect residents, Marco De La Vega and Loric. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.
