Laurel Halo Announces New Album “Atlas” And New Tour Dates

Laurel Halo has announced the release date of her new album, Atlas, out on September 22nd, 2023 via her newly formed imprint, Awe. In celebration of the new album, Halo has also shared its lead single, “Belleville.”

Atlas is Laurel Halo‘s first full-length album since her 2018 release, Raw Silk Uncut Wood, and showcases her continued exploration of electro-acoustic sound design and piano practice. The creation of Atlas started in 2020 when Halo reconnected with her piano, leading to various sketches and improvisations. Halo‘s work was refined during a residency at the legendary Ina-GRM Studios in Paris and continued in Berlin and London where she recorded additional guitar, violin, and vibraphone.

The album features guest appearances from a host of friends and collaborators, including saxophonist Bendik Giske, violinist James Underwood, cellist Lucy Railton, and vocalist Coby Sey. Halo has created a compilation of ambient jazz collages using a combination of electronic and acoustic instrumentation. “The music functions as a series of maps, for places real and imaginary, and for expressing the unsaid,” she comments.

“Belleville,” the lead single of Atlas, is a piano ballad recorded in a single take during Halo‘s Paris residency, accentuated with processed vibraphone and a harmonious stack of vocal harmonies featuring Sey.

Listen to Laurel Halo’s “Belleville” below

Awe, Halo‘s imprint, is a result of her two and a half years hosting the Awe monthly radio show on NTS. Its debut release being Atlas parallels the ambiance of the album and the mood of the label: awe felt when confronted with forces beyond your control.

In her illustrious career, Halo has ventured into different musical traditions, releasing ambient, left-field club, experimental pop, and film scores. Her collaborations with notable musicians, artists, and fashion designers have spanned across labels such as Latency, Livity Sound, Honest Jon’s and Hyperdub, adding prestige to her rich discography.

Halo‘s “Atlas” live show will premiere in Berlin, followed by select shows in EU and UK, before moving to the US this fall. Halo will then commence her North American tour.

Laurel Halo 2023 North American Tour Dates

Fri. July 21 – New York, NY @ Elsewhere *
Sat. July 22 – Chicago, IL @ Smartbar *
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

For more information on Laurel Halo or to get tickets to her upcoming tour dates, visit her website here.