Proto (Holly Herndon album)

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.^[13] It includes the singles "Godmother" and "Eternal", with the video of the latter accompanying the album announcement.^[14] The album was called a collaboration with an AI named "Spawn" co-created by Herndon and Mat Dryhurst.^[15]

Proto
Studio album by Holly Herndon
Released	May 10, 2019 (2019-05-10)
Length	44:07
Label	4AD
Producer	Holly Herndon Mat Dryhurst
Holly Herndon chronology
Platform (2015) Proto (2019)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10[1]
Metacritic	82/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Exclaim!	9/10[4]
Financial Times	[5]
The Guardian	[6]
The Observer	[7]
Pitchfork	8.2/10[8]
Q	[9]
Resident Advisor	3.8/5[10]
The Times	[11]
Uncut	7/10[12]

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".^[15] 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".^[16]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Birth"	1:14
2.	"Alienation"	3:43
3.	"Canaan (Live Training)"	1:36
4.	"Eternal"	4:45
5.	"Crawler"	5:57
6.	"Extreme Love" (with Lily Anna Hayes and Jenna Sutela)	2:34
7.	"Frontier"	4:29
8.	"Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt"	3:11
9.	"Swim"	4:38
10.	"Evening Shades (Live Training)"	1:33
11.	"Bridge" (with Martine Syms)	2:48
12.	"Godmother" (with Jlin featuring Spawn)	2:30
13.	"Last Gasp"	5:09
Total length:		44:07

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17]	99