Radical electronic producer Lyra Pramuk is known for her eccentric, conceptual approach to avant-garde music. On Hymnal, her second album, the Berlin-based artist continues to craft perplexing, emotionally layered work. Fusing future-classical concepts with operatic vocal textures, the album is a patchwork of experimental sounds centred on themes of identity.
The influence of artists like Björk and Holly Herndon is clear, as chamber orchestra recordings, gospel vocals and surreal digital effects come together in strange harmony. At times difficult to digest, Hymnal deliberately resists easy listening – but when you’re an experimental artist in Berlin, why follow the rules? Innovative, fresh and intimate, it’s a record that pushes the boundaries of electronic and neo-classical music, rewarding repeated listens as its layered concepts slowly unfold.
★★★★★
- Out now.
