Lingua Ignota on Exclaim!'s 10 Best Experimental Music Figured of 2019

LINGUA IGNOTA

Harrowing. Visceral. Cathartic. These are just some of the terms that can be used to describe Kristin Hayter's work under the Lingua Ignota name. A multi-instrumentalist and intensely captivating performer, her newest record, Caligula, is an uncompromising, arresting portrait of vengeance and survival. Showing beauty and horror in equal parts, the live facet of Lingua Ignota is an intimate and intense experience and one that is undeniably fitting to the material it conveys, with vivid video projections and a strong sense of community empowerment. The classical influences (especially her dynamic vocal range, which can express some of the darkest thoughts in a beautiful vibrato) underlie a brutality and noise factor which forces you to confront the demons she's seen. These are songs that Hayter describes as "survivor anthems," and a reclaiming of a long-occupied male space into something necessary and truly vital. Lingua Ignota is committed to her work, and it's clear her presence in the experimental world is one of strength and determination.  – Josh Weinberg

Full feature via exclaim!