VIA Festival presented by vitaminwater

Inspired by Steve Reich, Detroit techno, a six-month stint in Thailand and science fiction, Laurel Halo crafts lush, electronic avant-pop that is as theoretical as it is playful. An Ann Arbor, MI native and Brooklyn resident, Halo began playing piano at age six and added guitar and violin to her repertoire while still a child. However, she didn’t begin composing until she was 19, using not only the classical theory of her childhood but her fascination with translating geometric shapes like arcs and domes into music and the sounds she absorbed as a freeform DJ at the University of Michigan’s radio station WCBN as touchstones for her work. She released several EPs from 2006 to 2009, including The Future Fruit and 2009’s Ambrosia EP (two songs from which were remixed by Mogi Grumbles a year later). Halo’s breakthrough release, however, was 2010’s King Felix EP. Inspired by Philip K. Dick’s novel VALIS, the EP was released by Hippos in Tanks -- home also to GAMES, Sun Araw and Oneohtrix Point Never -- which she wrote, arranged, performed and produced on her own. Halo maintained a busy schedule, collaborating with her label mates Ford & Lopatin while releasing an EP in May 2011.