Holly Herndon at The Wick (Photos)
Holly Herndon‘s album Platform received a Best New Music categorization from Pitchfork and in their review they said, “Into these complicated soundworlds—all of which are rooted in human action—Herndon mixes noises that emanate from the structure of her computer (hums, fan whirs, “thinking” noises), as well as its internal audio (she records the sound of her Internet activity and uses it as a source material or a point of inspiration). For her, a laptop is a natural extension of her mind and body rather than a place of escape and self-negation. ”
It was interesting to see her extend her mind live at The Wick in Brooklyn, my first time at the open, barn-like venue. Behind her a projector was distantly connected to the audience via a medium who received text messages from the crowd and responded to them on screen. I was shooting for Village Voice who described her set as a digital paradise. The review noted the challenge of doing a show fixed behind a laptop. “Her eyes rarely left her computer as she manipulated these constructs into endless iterations. On her album it’s her compositional training that shines brightest; here, in a pitch-black repurposed factory, it was her years spent in the Berlin techno scene. There were no breaks in her dizzying flow and, although tracks from Platform made appearances, Herndon gave us a set more akin to a DJ’s, which was perfect.”
As only a couple of my photos made the article, please check out my gallery of Holly Herndon outtakes after the jump.