"Something in the Room She Moves" is the sixth studio LP from Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and composer Julia Holter. It combines improvisation with meticulously crafted arrangements, drawing on pop, jazz, orchestral, and experimental traditions.

These songs reflect on human connection and the complexity of love. It's personal and introspective, influenced by the birth of her daughter and the loss of her young nephew to whom the album is dedicated.

The album's rich soundscape was formed in collaboration with a range of musicians, including Holter's partner Tashi Wada (synths and bagpipes), Chris Speed (woodwinds/saxophone), Sara Belle Reid (trumpet and electronics), and Devin Hoff (fretless bass). Studio sessions were designed to be intuitive and unplanned, encouraging freedom, and a fluidity of form.

Centrepiece, "Spinning," evokes a sense of wonder, inspired by French feminist theorist Hélène Cixous's essay "Writing Blind." Its rhythmic pulse is the sound of a human heart, and its focus is the transformative act of creation itself. Another standout track, "Meyou", is a vocal-only meditation that channels the intimacy of familial bonds, with Holter joined by Ramona Gonzalez (Nite Jewel), Jessika Kenney, Maia, and Mia Doi Todd in chorus.

With "Something in the Room She Moves," Holter encourages listeners to embrace presence in the moment, inviting all to explore their own emotions through the lens of her music.

 

Julia Holter

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