Proto (stylized in all caps) is the third studio album by American electronic musician Holly Herndon. It was released on May 10, 2019, via 4AD. It includes the singles "Godmother" and "Eternal", with the video of the latter accompanying the album announcement. The album was called a collaboration with an AI named "Spawn" co-created by Herndon and Mat Dryhurst.
Background The album was created in a collaboration with an AI program named "Spawn", created by Herndon and Mat Dryhurst, and located in a "DIY souped-up gaming PC". It features "live vocal processing and timeless folk singing" with an "emphasis on alien song craft". The album features "live training" sessions during which vocalists recruited by Herndon and Dryhurst would teach Spawn how to interpret sounds. Herndon has said that her aim is to make technology seem less "dehumanizing".
Critical reception
Accolades + Year-end lists for Proto Publication List Rank BrooklynVegan BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2019 Crack The Top 50 Albums of the Year DJ Mag DJ Mag's Top 50 Albums of 2019 NPR The 25 Best Albums of 2019 Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2019 The Quietus Quietus Albums of the Year 2019 Slant Magazine The 25 Best Albums of 2019 Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2019 Under the Radar Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2019 Vice The 100 Best Albums of 2019
Track listing
Charts Chart (2019) Peakposition
References
External links
Official page