Camilla Sparksss – Icu Run (Digital/CD/Vinyl Album – On The Camper Records)
The new album by Swiss-Canadian artist Camilla Sparksss—real name Barbara Lehnhoff—marks her fourth release to date.
She blends a wide range of influences that might seem unexpected at first, yet she molds them into a compact and remarkably cohesive whole. The opening track, functioning almost as an overture, already sets this tone. What follows moves fluidly from Techno-Pop elements to a kind of free-form Pop, driven above all by its raw and intentionally abrasive sonic production. At times it borders on Industrial, though it remains consistently accessible to a broader audience. Her vocal delivery recalls the sterile, emotionless, yet subtly sensual style once associated with Client.
This album stands as both a challenge and a statement—an exploration of creativity, risk-taking, and a clear sense of innovation. (Rating:7½).
Listen to “Stormseeker”:
About Camilla Sparksss
Camilla Sparksss is the solo project of Barbara Lehnhoff, a Swiss-Canadian musician who also plays in the band Peter Kernel. Her music mixes techno-pop, off-kilter pop, and abrasive, industrial-leaning production.
Lehnhoff released her debut album, “For You The Wild”, in 2014, followed by “Brutal” in 2019 and “Lullabies” in 2023. “Icu Run”, her fourth album, arrived in 2025 on On The Camper Records and is the record reviewed here.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
