April 19, 2012 – Who: A classically trained artist, Holter, 27, studied music at the University of Michigan and CalArts. She's emerged as a central figure within Los Angeles' avant-pop scene, having worked with Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Sounds Like: In her short career, Holter has covered a lot of stylistic ground: 2011's Tragedy utilized everything from synths to cello to choruses to construct a dreamy, ambient album that artfully blended traditional music with samples and field recordings. She is now garnering attention for Ekstasis, released in March, a singular album of experimental pop that's drawing comparisons to Kate Bush, Robert Wyatt, and Joni Mitchell. Holter's experience with quirky instrumentation goes way back: "When I was a kid, I had a xylophone, and I thought that was the instrument I wanted to play," she says.