Julia Holter's new album, Ekstasis, comes out March 8. Rick Bahto When the world is at the tip of anyone's fingers, there's little space for a true vanguard of sound.

Think about it: When was the last time you heard or saw something entirely new? Experiences like Gaspar Noe's film Enter the Void and Scott Walker's album The Drift shook me to my core, and questioned my ideas of not only art, but also life itself. But trace the steps and you'll find and Krzysztof Penderecki in Walker, or Kenneth Anger and 2001: A Space Odyssey in Noe. Alphonse Mouzon Morning Sun 1981 Firebird.

We're a culture that recycles — no revelatory observation — but with Ekstasis, has created a radically new world from a crystalline Venn diagram of sound. Last year's Tragedy reshaped ambient music from a place that's still hard to pin down.

Ekstasis is the second studio album by the American musician Julia Holter. It was released on March 8, 2012, by RVNG International. Find great deals on eBay for ekstasis. Shop with confidence.

It was like a multicolored patchwork garment unraveling from several loose threads; you couldn't just drop into the Hippolytus-inspired work, which is what makes Ekstasis such a vibrant counterpart. Instead of roaming textures that drift in and out, the arrangements here are decidedly 'pop,' with Holter's voice at the center. But that doesn't make Ekstasis any less complex. 'Marienbad' is, at first, an unlikely opening: a bouncing Baroque-pop song layered by Holter's sprightly vocal performance and percussive, harpsichord-like keyboard. But halfway through, musical mitosis occurs, as an ambient choir hits a four-on-the-foor house beat that's as much as it is Giorgio Moroder horror soundtrack. The album's centerpiece, 'Für Felix,' may be a charming nod in name, but its roots extend to the late New York City composer, whose reissued and recently unearthed works are an unending source of discovery.

It's not only the plucked cello that feels so Russell-ian; it's also how effortlessly Holter inhabits the the body, the strings, the rhythm of that instrument. That's what made Russell so special after all, and it's rare to hear anyone truly take that lesson to heart. The harpsichord also appears during 'In the Same Room,' probably the most straightforward and remix-worthy electro-pop track on Ekstasis — I'm looking at you, Blondes — even if its medieval qualities make it oh-so-stately. That also makes it as good a place as any to utter the name. In recent years, Bush has been a touchstone for other sonically challenging female musicians like, Fielded, Beru, Grouper and Chelsea Wolfe, but only that. Each artist occupies and crosses over so many realms; some create ambient and pop music unlike anything else before it.

As Ekstasis turns pop inside out, it also challenges the abstract ideas that inform the record. Closing with 'This Is Ekstasis,' it's almost as if 's complicated harmolodics theory has found a new way to reach the masses besides mutant funk. Voices bounce around amid disjointed electro beats, Gothic synths, dubbed-out noise and a barroom free-jazz band playing in an adjacent room, so that when Julia Holter intones, 'Joy! It sounds like a new pop proclamation.

Julia Holter's 'Ekstasis' album is definitely invading the waters of pop music with more power than its predecessor 'Tragedy'. And it's Julia Holter's 'Ekstasis' album is definitely invading the waters of pop music with more power than its predecessor 'Tragedy'. And it's certainly better. Tracks have something that makes you forget yourself thanks to them. Compositions are kind of seemingly quiet indie folk songs combined with elements of electronics or synthesizers, but overall you listen to album with pleasure. Wow Astro Calendar Serial Killer. Only for the first track I could realize that this is an album that requires several listens, for the complexity and cohesion between the Only for the first track I could realize that this is an album that requires several listens, for the complexity and cohesion between the songs. However, in my first listen, it transmitted me contradicting emotions of warmth and coldness, being distant and close at the same time, seeming to be made a in her own room and at the same having some really interesting production arrangements.

This contrasts are probably a result of making the Electronics of this album sound very natural (sometimes). It is a very enjoyable and realizing album. This is perhaps the most unique album I've heard all year. On 'Ekstasis', Holter envelopes the listener in the world of her music -- and it is This is perhaps the most unique album I've heard all year. On 'Ekstasis', Holter envelopes the listener in the world of her music -- and it is a very rewarding visit.

This album is challenging, to be sure; I personally didn't come close to wrapping my head around it until the third listen. However, any patient listener will discover a true gem. Holter succeeds in balancing eccentricity and consistency. Impressively varied instrumentation, engaging melodies, ambient textures, and delicate arrangements produce a truly intriguing ambiance that's not without its share of hooks and surprises. It sounds at once modern and traditional, lighthearted and serious, like some sort of renaissance fair in a Blade Runner world. I very much look forward to more from Julia Holter in the future.