Platform

Recording information: Annandale-on-Hudson (2013-2014); Berlin (2013-2014); Los Angeles (2013-2014); Palo Alto (2013-2014); San Francisco (2013-2014).
Just as Holly Herndon's debut album Movement had abundant layers in its title alone, its follow-up Platform is just as nuanced in how it combines political, technological, and structural and ideological concepts into a single word. She explores all of these ideas in thought-provoking and unsettling ways that expand on Movement's fragmented, ethereal approach. On tracks such as "Chorus," which was made from samples of Herndon's Internet browsing; "Home," a breathy piece of pop inspired by NSA surveillance, and the eerily erotic sketch "Lonely at the Top," she blurs the line between intimacy and invasiveness, providing commentary on the way humanity and technology interact that elevates Platform into a true work of art. ~ Heather Phares