The elusive duo @: art-folk's quiet revolution
Victoria Rose and Stone Filipczak perform as @, a duo known for their acoustic art-folk and intricate harmonies. Their second album, Autosmile, is their first release on the 4AD label, and they maintain a deliberately private public image. The pair discussed their music and the challenges of their unsearchable name during an interview in Philadelphia.
The duo's creative process is deliberately long-distance and unhurried. After meeting in Boston's DIY circuit—Rose as solo act Brittle Brian, Filipczak in experimental noise scenes—they lost touch when Filipczak moved back to Baltimore in 2017. Lockdown reconnected them, and sharing works-in-progress led to their 2021 debut, Mind Palace Music. Their collaboration remains geographically split, with Filipczak recording in Baltimore while Rose works a farm in Boston.
Their art-folk sound draws from unusual touchstones: taxidermy museums, beekeeping, and a recurring sample of a shrieking primate on Autosmile. The album's title references a misspelled meme featuring a dopey sunflower. Despite signing with influential indie label 4AD, they maintain a deliberately opaque public presence, preferring inference over explanation in both their music and their interviews.
This profile reflects a broader cultural moment where artists increasingly resist algorithmic discoverability. By choosing an unsearchable name and guarding personal details, @ may appeal to audiences fatigued by constant self-promotion. Their success on a respected label could signal that privacy itself has become a marketable aesthetic—one that resonates with listeners seeking authenticity in an oversaturated digital landscape, though its broader cultural impact likely remains niche.