Laurel Halo is one of the most interesting artists in the music-business, though her work is still highly underrated. Clearly, the artist from New York is underestimated. That’s mostly because she appears much more as an author person than a real person. Her music is not mere l’art pour l’art but instead broaches issues. Hence, the rather euphoric club-context that her music is mostly connected to often misinterprets her art. One of Laurel Halo’s favorite topics is the structure of power and how it effects social systems. Furthermore and in accordance to that approach she analyzes how technology effects one’s consciousness. The idea is reflected by her releases’ titles as much as her pseudonyms, like King Felix, taken from a novel by Sci-fi-author Philipp K. Dick. Her new EP is called »Behind the Green Door«, alluding to the metaphor of the green door, beyond which the unknown and shady is taking place: military headquarters are forming their decisions behind a green and armored door. Mary E. Wilkin’s novel »The Green Door« is about a girl, who is not allowed to open a green door (»It is not best for you, my dear.«). A hit song by Jim Lowe (1956) sings about a man, who is allowed to listen to the party-sounds behind a green door but doesn’t get to join the actual happening. The porn-movie »Behind the Green Door« (1972) deals with sexually connotated power games. Laurel Halo’s EP reflects these aspects of the green-door-symbol: The adult-film-theme is picked up by the track »Sex Mission«. The military-approach re-appears in »UHFFO«, an abbreviation for Ultra High Frequency followed-on Satellite. The hit song can be found in »NOYFB« (=None Of Your Fucking Business). Finally, »Throw« can be connected to the novel about the girl, so that the topic is reflected in an all-embracing spectrum on this record. Of course, one can’t be too sure about the connections. In contrast to her last EP »Quarantine« and the Single »Sunlight On The Faded« Laurel Halo has completely abstained from vocals this time. Instead, she puts much more weight on beats. »Sex Mission« is adopting the hi-hats from »Sunlight On The Faded« when it reaches up-tempo beats, and replaces the vocals with poignant drumbeats. And even though the EP works just fine in the context of a club – the real value of Laurel Halo’s music only appears on the meta-level. I wouldn’t be surprised to soon find a track by the name of »PRISM« playing in a club with everyone going wild.
Claire Rousay
The Bloody Lady
Viernulvier