Classically trained and raised in Berlin’s club scene, she has garnered critical acclaim for her original, genre-fluid sound rooted in experimental vocals and left-field electronics. Throughout Hymnal, she creates a radical and primal polyphony of innovatively-sampled vocals, in-your-face strings, and futuristic electronic production. These varied elements combine to form an ecstatic genesis, a musical offering that intersects with the minimalism of Steve Reich and Terry Riley, the avant-garde vocal storytelling of Meredith Monk and Laurie Anderson, and the political and communal spirit of American folk and dance music.

Moved by the evocative power of strings across musical traditions, Lyra threads them through the fabric of Hymnal, layering rich, sinewy harmonies to evoke the landscapes and creatures that surround us. She collaborated with Berlin-based Sonar Quartett, recording a session that blended composition and improvisation. These recordings were then re-amped, re-sampled, and processed to join her sonic world. All the vocal phrases, chants and ad libs were recorded in one week, in two special spaces in Italy – a cathedral in Venice, and a remote cabin under the stars in the Dolomites. She later reworked the string and vocal samples on CDJs, using her DJ’s sense for rhythm and mixing to channel the political and communal lineage of dance music.