Album of the week: July 22 – Volta Hymn

July 22nd 2022

INCOGNITO MODE is the debut album by enigmatic musical polymath Volta Hymn. Described as an Afro-futurist electronic coming of age, the album was written, recorded and produced entirely by the  Ngunnawal/Canberra-based artist. The album’s distinctive sound is rooted in the music of Volta Hymn’s youth – electronica, post-punk and vaporwave – her involvement in DIY music scenes, and her subsequent work as a vocalist for soul and hip hop artists including Sampa The Great. Volta Hymn crafts an idiosyncratic sonic world that touches upon elements of avant-pop, R&B and downtempo electronica, while still managing to evade rigid genre constraints, pairing the album’s lush production with urgent, arpeggiated synths and sparse drum machines. Above these arrangements, her bewitching singing shines through on every track; at times lilting and choral, and other times direct and processed with autotune. INCOGNITO MODE is a vital antidote to misogynoir and intergenerational afflictions, and a captivating debut from a truly unique artist.


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