Dust is the third album by Berlin-based American electronic music artist Laurel Halo. It was released on June 23, 2017, by Hyperdub. The album features contributions from Eli Keszler, Julia Holter, Michael Salu, and Max D among others, and was preceded by the single "Jelly", featuring Klein and Lafawndah.
Background and release The composing process for Dust began in early 2015 at a two-week residency at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center in upstate New York, where Halo worked between a "black box space" and a concert hall equipped with percussion, piano, and a digital mixer. The artist invited French singer Lafawndah and American percussionist Eli Keszler during her residency. Dubois described the environment as "a very Lynchian scene," with Halo "directing [her] like an actress; she had lyrics she wanted [her] to sing" and "ways she needed things to be said."
Halo described the lyrical process as lacking "very specific or linear narratives," inspired by Aram Saroyan, Anne Carson's translations of Sappho, and concrete poetry, most notably using the adaptation of "Servidão de Passagem" by Haroldo de Campos on the opening track "Sun to Solar." She used a method of "randomizing the lines" of her lyrics to create a disjointed structure, leaping from "heavily emotional" writing to "something that is completely about the weather or something super basic."
On April 20, 2017, Halo announced the album and released the single "Jelly", a "swirling vortex of soulful sounds and harsh judgement," featuring vocal contributions by Klein and Lafawndah. The single was accompanied by a music video created by Bureau Borsche, who were also in charge of the album's graphic design.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Dust was received positively by music critics, with a Metacritic weighed aggregate score of 84 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Writing for The Guardian, Ben Beaumont-Thomas called the album "a triumph of impressionism, where the digital and organic coexist in a radically beautiful whole," while naming it electronic." In his review for AllMusic, Paul Simpson described Dust as, "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." Heather Phares described the album in the artist's biography as fusing jazz with avant-pop. Resident Advisor described the music on Dust as experimental. Andrew Dorsett of PopMatters said in his review that Halo is "crafting a series of drifting art pop pieces that evoke forgotten, buried materials long since fallen into disrepair.". The Quietus' Joseph Burnett said that "her almost monomaniacal focus on the intricacies of sound since her earliest releases has clearly culminated with this record, one that is in constant flux between joyful abandon and grim introspection, pop-tinged electronica and avant-garde expressionism."
April Clare Welsh of Fact wrote: "Like Arca's Arca, Laurel Halo's third album also explores the human voice. But while Arca explores largely organic territory, Halo fashions a musique concrete mosaic of vocal cut-ups and robotic reveries."
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Track listing Tracks listing adapted from Bandcamp.
Personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dust.
Musicians Laurel Halo – vocals, synthesizer, piano, vibraphone, guitaret Eli Keszler – drum kit, dumbek, glockenspiel Max D – cowbell Klein – vocals Lafawndah – vocals Michael Salu – vocals Craig Clouse – wurlitzer Julia Holter – cello Michael Beharie – electric guitar Diamond Terrifier – tenor saxophone
Technical personnel Laurel Halo – production Cole M.G.N. – mixing Jason Goz – mastering
Artwork Phillip Aumann – photography
References