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Deep Dive Vol. 4 - 'Halo Acid: Inner City Anxiety'



The history of Halo Acid can be traced back to even before the very inception of Dream Catalogue. As a close friend of HKE, the label boss, the producer helped shape the classic Dream sound through curation and presentation of his view on the matter, even though the first album we'd see from this London-native's particular moniker would only come in 2016.

Days Of Night
It happened to be 'Days Of Night', making for the 47th release on the Dream subsidiary TKX Vault. While comparatively contained and at times purely ambient, this project managed to turn heads not only for the collaborative track with HKE that closes the album (clocking in at over 22 minutes), '37 Hours', but also for its unique sound that would go on to be dubbed 'Ghost Tech' and further explored on the artist's label at this time, TEKRES.
The label opened its doors in 2016 with an energetic split tape entitled 'No Dreams', a collaboration with HKE who himself had already dabbled in the Ghost Tech sound, making for a showcase of two different interpretations on a single style (from two producers who are widely regarded as being extremely talented).



After two years of being practically AOL from the scene, the artist returns triumphantly with 'Lines Of Fracture', now deservingly on Dream Catalogue. It marks the beginning of the classic Halo Acid sound that would be heard throughout the rest of the year, taking cues from Ghost Tech and acting, in a sense, as an evolution. Up to date, this unique style of production has remained unnamed to escape the rapid redundancy associated with pointless subgenres, standing on its own. While not at a 'Body Dares' level, the mix in this album could still mildly bothersome to those not accustumed to the higher energy implied in the music of Halo Acid.

Independently released, the 'Shadow Merchants' EP winds the hyperactive sound we'd experienced previously on Halo's Dream Catalogue debut down in favour of a proper collaboration with HKE, with a more composed structure and mellower samples, but definitely worth a listen for fans of electronic music in general. Even though only five tracks are featured here, in the short time between release and current day they've managed to become fan favourites, truly displaying what the combined power of these musicians can accomplish.

The themes previously explored would be continued on 'Crisis Actress', with some raw roots that deviate slightly from the bright sounding counterparts lurking in the artist's discography. Ultimately, this album is a perfect fit for the label it was released on, Newcastle's House of The Leg run by MOD-COMM 81, who strives to release unique electronic music from artists whose production skills stand out from the crowd. Along with the former EP, the project seems the easiest to enjoy but certainly hides a special charm that reveals itself after a few listens, something Halo Acid expertly employs in his production.

Never Let Me Go
Nighttime in the city seems to override the artist's next album, a return to Dream Catalogue entitled 'Nomads', taking the inner-city motif previously widely-explored and setting it at nighttime for a truly 'after-hours' experience, though maintaining the classic Halo Acid sound that'd been heard in 'Lines Of Fracture' already. There's an easily visible disconnect between this and the following album, also released through Dream Catalogue, which sound design-wise feels like a slap in the face in comparison to 'Nomads'.

On 'Never Let Me Go', the sound and concept that began with 'Lines Of Fracture' is continued, amplified even. Extremely polished production is adorned with sharp samples, synth lines and beats, making the listener feel like they're part of a large busy city and are watching the day go by, experiences occurring and people meeting. Along with this interpretation, there is a lingering personal aspect to the music, which is almost anxiety-driven and constantly changing.

To break this streak of main label releases, 'Almost Heaven' drops on Eternal Fortune London accompanied by a limited cassette run, the norm on this secondary imprint run by staff member Nicol. The distorted, sharp sound rapidly becomes the norm on Halo Acid releases, marking the way forward for the artist (and possibly even music in general)
Body Dares

To date, the final Halo Acid release is 'Body Dares', well known for the controversy it stirred up with UK online music store Boomkat, who reviewed it poorly due to its aggressive mixing referring to the project as a "Low-grade piss-take of electronic music". Despite hate from music fans with sensible ears, this album still represents the most relevant body of work from the artist, a collection of tracks that is surely able to stand on its own in a world of mostly standardized genres.

As a fan of Dream Catalogue, Halo Acid should already be on your radar not only as an originator of everything Dream has been working towards up to now, but also as a formidable and extremely unique electronic music artist who may very possibly lead the pack in the next decade, breaking boundaries along the way, and ultimately revolutionizing music as a whole.

-Holo
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