Laurel Halo has announced a new album, Atlas, due September 22 via her new imprint Awe (pre-order), and she released lead single “Belleville.” The announcement reads:
Atlas is the product of a few years’ research into electroacoustic sound design and piano practice. The process of writing Atlas began back in 2020 when Halo reacquainted herself with the piano, writing and recording various sketches and improvisations. In 2021, the legendary Ina-GRM Studios in Paris invited her to take up a residency, during which she dubbed, stretched and manipulated some of these simple sketches she’d recorded over the prior months. In the remainder of 2021 and 2022, with time spent between Berlin and London, Halo recorded additional guitar, violin and vibraphone, as well as acoustic instrumentation from friends and collaborators including saxophonist Bendik Giske, violinist James Underwood, cellist Lucy Railton and vocalist Coby Sey. Using both electronic and acoustic instrumentation, Halo has created a potent set of sensual ambient jazz collages, comprised of orchestral clouds, shades of modal harmony, hidden sonic details, and detuned, hallucinatory textures. The music functions as a series of maps, for places real and imaginary, and for expressing the unsaid.
“Belleville” is a disarming piano ballad, recorded in one take during Halo’s Paris residency in the spring of 2021. It’s embellished with undertows of processed vibraphone, as well as a sudden, gorgeous stack of vocal harmonies featuring Sey.
Listen to “Belleville” below.
Laurel also announced a live Atlas tour, including Europe/UK shows in September and US shows in November. She’s also got a few DJ dates before that. All dates are listed below.
Laurel brings her live tour to NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge on November 9, but first she DJs in Brooklyn this month at Elsewhere on July 21 with DJ Python, Tiny T-Bone, Huerco S + Debonair, and Estoc. Tickets are on sale now.
Tracklist
1. Abandon
2. Naked to the Light
3. Late Night Drive
4. Sick Eros
5. Belleville
6. Sweat, Tears of the Sea
7. Atlas
8. Reading the Air
9. You Burn Me
10. Earthbound
Laurel Halo — 2023 Tour Dates
Fri. July 21 – New York, NY @ Elsewhere *
Sat. July 22 – Chicago, IL @ Smartbar *
Fri. Aug. 4 – Berlin, DE @ Panorama Bar *
Sat. Aug. 5 – Brussels, BE @ C12 *
Sat. Aug. 19 – Oslo, NE @ Blå *
Fri. Aug. 25 – Lisbon, PT @ Lux Fragil *
Sat. Aug. 26 – London, UK @ Venue MOT *
Thu. Sep. 7 – Berlin, DE @ Atonal +
Fri. Sep. 8 – Dublin, IE @ Dublin National Hall +
Sun. Sep. 10 – London, UK @ Barbican +
Wed. Sep. 13 – Amsterdam, NL @ Muziekgebouw +
Sat. Sep. 16 – Bochum, DE @ Ruhrtriennale +
Fri. Sep. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time Festival *
Fri. Nov. 3 – Iowa City, IA @ FEaST Festival +
Sun. Nov. 5 – Chicago, IL @ Bond Chapel +
Wed. Nov. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church +
Thu. Nov. 9 – New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge +
Sat. Nov. 11 – New York, NY @ Public Records *
Sun. Nov. 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room +
* = DJ set
+ = Laurel Halo presents Atlas Live