Laurel Halo – Dust

Hi-tech jazz meets prismatic beats and left-field R&B on Laurel Halo’s third album for Kode9’s Hyperdub. One of the best electronic albums of 2017, Dust focuses heavily on the human voice with guest vocal contributions from Klein, Lafawndah, and Michael Salu. Halo’s idiosyncratic production strips away traditional harmonies in favor of sub-heavy, percussive grooves and skittering electronic textures that leave ample room for each voice to establish its own world. Halo’s own layered, often playful vocals draw from late ’90s and ’00s pop hooks, coming across within the webs of concrète soundscapes like r&b from decades into the future. Live instrumentation also comes in throughout the album with Eli Keszler’s drum kit, dumbek, and glockenspiel adding organic grooves while tenor saxophonist Diamond Terrifier shines on the immensely satisfying jazz-infused moments on the album.