Julia Shammas Holter (born December 18, 1984) is an American singer/songwriter, record producer, and classically trained composer. A CalArts graduate, following three independent album productions, Holter released Tragedy as her first official studio album in 2011, followed a year later by Ekstasis. Both albums received considerable acclaim, and propelled the artist into mainstream popularity. Many have compared her style to that of Laurie Anderson.
Discography:
- Phaedra Runs to Russia (2007)
- Eating the Stars (2007)
- Cookbook (2008)
- Celebration (2010)
- Live Recordings (2010)
- Tragedy (2011)
- Ekstasis (2012)
- Loud City Song (2013)
- Have You in My Wilderness (2015)
- In the Same Room (2017)
- Aviary (2018)
- Something in the Room She Moves (2024)
Tropes surrounding me, troping so forcefully high:
- A Cappella: Used to a terrifying effect in "World".
- Celebrity Is Overrated: "Horns Surrounding Me" from Loud City Song explores the media's fascination with celebrity life and its more intrusive extremes.
- Concept Album:
- Tragedy is inspired by the play Hippolytus by Euripides.
- Loud City Song deals with the stresses of urban life and how noise and interaction affect those living in cities.
- Fading into the Next Song: "Try to Make Yourself a Work of Art" into "The Falling Age", "Celebration" into "So Lilies" on Tragedy
- Leave the Camera Running:
- The first half of "So Lilies" from Tragedy consists mostly of a field recording of Julia trying to do a soundcheck on presumably a bus station before she even starts uttering the lyrics halfway into the song.
- "Everyday is an Emergency" from Aviary consists of a bagpipe-heavy atonal drone improvisation that lasts for almost 4 minutes before it transitions into a calm ethereal ambient track for its outro.
- Lonely Piano Piece:
- "He's Running Through My Eyes" from Loud City Song
- "In Gardens' Muteness" from Aviary
- Longest Song Goes Last:
- Ekstasis closes with "This is Ekstasis" (8:55).
- Loud City Song closes with "City Appearing" (7:16).
