It's Electric: Genre-Bending Musician Laurel Halo

The New York Times pronounced Laurel Halo as being at the forefront of a “spate of synth-empowered women”, alongside indie darling Grimes and underground producer Maria Minerva. The description doesn’t sit well with the American musician, who splits her time between New York and Berlin. “While I respect who these other artists are and what they do, you can’t lump such different- sounding artists all together. Imagine categorising any permutation of male artists using synths today — it just doesn’t hold water. It is inherently political to be a female in a male-dominated scene, but it’s an exciting time to be creating music in general and I’m curious to see how current movements develop over time.”

Halo is an exciting guest of the Audio Foundation, Auckland’s hub of avant-garde sound exploration and art that presents intriguing, delightful and disturbing noises downstairs from the Parisian Tie Factory, bordering Myers Park. She’s kicking off a a tour of the country this Thursday with a show in Christchurch then touring Dunedin and Wellington before hitting Auckland next Wednesday, September 18, with a show at Whammy Bar.

When Halo plays that synth at Whammy Bar on Wednesday (September 18), she will be layering it with drum machine and sampler, building her own heavy, looming blend of electronica. “I tend to like music that expresses hardship,” she says.

Laurel Halo tour:

Christchurch –  Thursday, September 12, Third Door Down (7 Lincoln Lane, Addington) with Occasionals.

Dunedin – Friday, September 13, Queens, with Murderbike and Mr Aaron Hawkins.

Wellington – Saturday, September 14, Puppies with Mouth Erect.

Auckland – Wednesday, September 18, Whammy Bar with Totems and Dawn Marble.

First published Metro, September 2013