Following several releases of moody experimental techno, including 2013 full-length
Chance of Rain
and 2015 double-EP
In Situ
(issued by
Honest Jon's
), shapeshifting producer
Laurel Halo
returned to vocal-based works (as well as her previous home,
Hyperdub
) with 2017 album
Dust
. In some ways, the recording seems like a sequel (or maybe a sibling or cousin) to
Quarantine
, her vocal-heavy 2012 debut full-length which received mountains of critical acclaim but was nevertheless often referred to as "difficult" or "divisive."
is a further abstraction of the art-pop inclinations of
, placing a bit more focus on beats, although the rhythms constantly shift and mutate.
is easily the richest, most labyrinthine
Halo
release yet, utterly stuffed with sonic details, as she follows her impulses down obscure crevices inside her mind. Her sonic vision is realized thanks to several guest musicians and vocalists; most prominently,
Eli Keszler
supplies his rapid, fluttering percussion throughout the album. Abstract R&B singers
Klein
and
Lafawndah
mirror
's thoughts on a few tracks (particularly the hallucinogenic standout "Jelly"), and Nigerian-British designer/writer
Michael Salu
is given "Who Won?" all to himself in order to express his poetic concerns over dusky saxophone courtesy of
Diamond Terrifier
and fluid Wurlitzer keyboards played by
Craig Clouse
of
Shit & Shine
. The album's most approachable tracks meld warped New York house chords with jittery beats and playful vocals.
describes
as her happiest album, and there is certainly a sense of joy radiating through songs like the mischievous "Moontalk," which contains samples of laughter and dial tones as well as Japanese lyrics. Other tracks on the album are less propelled by rhythm, floating weightlessly but often met by unpredictable shards of detuned instruments or manipulated vocals.
is very disorienting and not always easy to grasp hold of, but it never comes close to sounding like anything else, and its best moments are highly compelling. ~ Paul Simpson