Holly Herndon announces collaborative album with A.I., reveals eerie new single "Eternal"

11 March 2019, 12:02 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Holly Herndon)

Holly Herndon has announced her third album PROTO, a collaboration with her music algorithm A.I. Spawn, alongside revealing ghostly new single, "Eternal".

"Eternal" is the lead single to be shared from her new technology-driven music project. In December 2018 Herndon released "Godmother" featuring Jlin, who is also the godmother to Herndon's A.I., Spawn.

Although her forthcoming PROTO record was created in collaboration with her A.I. Spawn - which she created with Mathew Dryhurst - Herndon also worked with a team of vocalists, developers, and "inhuman intelligence" to work on the album.

Expanding on the new project, Herndon says, "There’s a pervasive narrative of technology as dehumanizing. 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."

PROTO is Herndon's first album since 2015's Platform.

Tracklist:

Birth
Alienation
Canaan (Live Training)
Eternal
Crawler
Extreme Love (with Lily Anna Hayes and Jenna Sutela)
Frontier
Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt
SWIM
Evening Shades (Live Training)
Bridge (with Martine Syms)
Godmother (with Jlin)
Last Gasp

"Eternal" is out now, PROTO lands 10 May via 4AD. Holly Herndon will play some shows in the US before performing at Manchester's International Festival on 20 July. Find out more.