Halo Halo - Taro Taro Taro from Jack Barraclough on Vimeo.

HALO HALO are three friends living in South London, writing a primal, hyper-melodic music that makes you want to dance into the mountains and throw a rope around the moon.

Rachel Horwood (vocals, banjo, also of the band Trash Kit), Jack Barraclough (vocals, drums) and Gill Partington (bass, modded-keyboard) came together just two years ago inspired by a shared love of the naturalism of folk music and the freedom of punk.

Naming their band after a very colourful, refreshing hotchpotch of a dessert from the Philippines (where Rachel's family are from) the same random delight and faith in surprise is central to their music, shot through in clattering technicolour by traditional forms of Filipino music like Tiboli and the mystical chanting and sacred percussion of the Ifugao.

Halo Halo are not only reaching back to their own ancestry, but are tapping into something seemingly outside of time, parts equally magical and sonically enthralling.

This last three years have seen Halo Halo release a well received 7" single through the brilliant imprints of Savoury Days in Europe and M'Ladys in the USA, alongside several homemade CDs, leading to them playing countless shows, some more far flung than others including performances in Israel, the Republic of Korea, the Arctic Circle, and in support of kindred spirits Electrelane on tour in Europe.


With this eagerly-awaited, self-titled debut album, Halo Halo have raised their game, delivering not only well written songs with lyrics that won't leave you but also commanding a confidence in their approach matched by their broadening production values.

"Djeddjehutyiuefankh" opens the album, named after an unearthed Egyptian mummy found without a heart. The song strides purposefully forwards with Jack and Rachel's doubled vocals and tripping beats, an ode to another voice in another time, all wrapped up in vocoder.

"Taro Taro.......
więcej