Classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Lingua Ignota, has recently released a harrowingly cinematic new single “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” via the Adult Swim Singles Program. Originally a Southern California native Ignota (born Kristin Hayter) now resides in Rhode Island. As recent as Wednesday, March 25, according to a press release, “Adult Swim Singles have shared a new song from Lingua Ignota (vocalist/composer Kristin Hayter) as the twentieth entry in the 2019-2020 program. ‘O Ruthless Great Divine Director’ is Hayter’s first release since last year’s lauded Caligula, an indefinable and unapologetically caustic critique of decadence, corruption, depravity and senseless violence.”
The hauntingly beautiful latest single from Ignota “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” opens with somber piercing piano strings that are followed with fervently distressing lyrics that Ignota vividly paints the picture with. The natural vibrato adherently present in her voice makes for a unique listen and one that lingers in the listeners ears as the song gets experimental going off on an emotional tangent. As previously noted in the aforementioned press release, Ignota explains the genesis of the song and talks in depth of collaborators during the recording process of “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” saying:
“O RUTHLESS GREAT DIVINE DIRECTOR both addresses and embodies the hypocrite and the false prophet,” states Hayter. “The sanctimonious scene police, the friend or community who will turn away or against when things get hard, fear mongering and pervasive misinformation. It was a great pleasure to have Greg Fox’s incredible talent on this song, and to work with Seth Manchester again at the console.”
Adult Swim serves as a subsidiary block programing of basic cable, Cartoon Network, intended for young adult and mature audiences. The aforementioned press release furthers that Adult Swim, “…launched in 2001, is a WarnerMedia network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), Adult Swim is basic cable’s #1 network with persons 18-34 and 18-49, and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes.”
Hayter has pulled from a multitude of varying genres from industrial, folk, classical, noise and extreme metal. Under the moniker Lingua Ignota, Hayter has released a total of three full length studio albums. The first two studio albums were self-released 2017’s Let The Evil of his Own Lips Cover Him and All Bitches Die. The most recent musical offering from Hayter was last year’s critically acclaimed third studio album, Caligula, via Profound Lore. As previously reported in Pitchfork, “Earlier this year, Hayter formed the group Sightless Pit with the Body’s Lee Buford and Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker. They released their debut full-length Grave of a Dog in February.”
Most recently, Hayter lent her musical talents in a re-worked version of the latest viral sensation video cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” cover spearheaded by model and actress, 2017 Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot. As previously reported here at mxdwn, “Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell, Sia, Norah Jones, Chris O’Dowd and many other celebrities recently covered the John Lennon classic “Imagine,” during a video uploaded to Gadot’s Instagram page. While the original video received mixed reviews, multi-instrumentalist Lingua Ignota (Kristin Hayter) released a harsh noise cover of the song titled ‘Above Us Only Sky,’ which was made ‘TO LIFT SPIRITS AND INSPIRE HOPE.’”
To listen to “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” stream below, via Adult Swim.