Following the critical acclaim of 2024’s ‘Something in the Room She Moves’, Los Angeles composer and art-pop auteur Julia Holter returns with ‘Materia’.
Holter’s musical world has always thrived on fluid, atmospheric electronic textures, blending classic avant-garde sensibilities with an idiosyncratic pop instinct. On ‘Materia’, that signature fluidity is pushed even further into ethereal synth landscapes, jazz-inflected phrasing and hypnotic vocal collages.
Initially conceived around re-evaluations of that previous album’s key track ‘Materia’, this is a companion record expands into a rich, self-contained tapestry of re-imaginings, tour-written pieces and unreleased ideas. Of the album’s thematic anchors, ‘Materia 2’ pairs an otherworldly machine pulse with subtle fretless bass, evoking the surreal haze of Julee Cruise. Meanwhile, the closing ‘Materia 3’ shifts to a deeper Wurlitzer motif in a slowed-down take intended as a subtle homage to peak CD-era hidden tracks.
Photo by Dicky Bahto
But originally released as a standalone single during her 2024 tour and opening proceedings, ‘The Laugh Is in the Eyes’ sets a captivating tone. Built on delicate synths and tumbling rhythms, its instrumentational blend would not feel out of place on a Jansen Barbieri Karn (JBK) recording. Holter floats her plaintive vocal over flutes and shifting polyrhythms, creating a balance of tension and joy.
An exquisite piece of avant-pop, ‘My Lost One’ introduces understated keys and a hushed whisper before it expands into an eccentric, dreamy blend of fretless bass, flute, sax, and soprano vocals that accelerate into a cerebral, euphoric climax. Driven by a gentle rhythm box, ‘Fantasy’ is arguably the most immediate and luminous offering here. Layered with shimmering, crystalline synths, Holter’s vocal guides a waking dream as the arrangement unfolds gradually around her, taking unexpected yet glorious sonic turns.
A striking vocal collage experiment exploring the concept of time, ‘Clepsydra’ sees complex vocal layers intersecting to deliver a brief, provocative piece of artful elegance. But spanning over 10 minutes and improvised by Holter alone, ‘My Twin’ is s sprawling piece floats in lounge ambience, bossa nova rhythms and angelic minimalism. Less a traditional song and more a vocal art installation, it features her engaging in an intimate, layered dialogue with her own mirrored voice.
Written during a turbulent period marked by motherhood, personal grief and global unrest, ‘Materia’ reflects an artist navigating heavy emotional terrain through pure compositional curiosity. This is a satisfying sophisticated listen that highlights Holter’s avant-pop mastery as both composer and vocalist with a body of work that is perhaps even better than ‘Something in the Room She Moves’.
‘Materia’ is released by Domino Recordings on 21st August 2026, available from https://juliaholter.bandcamp.com/album/materia
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Text by Chi Ming Lai
16th August 2026
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