SXSW Review: Haelos, March 12, Cedar Street Courtyard

Haelos

Haelos released one of my favorite albums in 2016. The dark moody electronic music they presented on that album reminded me a bit of trip hop from the 90’s. Funny enough, they also played Cedar Street Courtyard as part of SXSW in that year, so it was nice to be able to see them again this year as they prepare for the release of their new record Any Random Kindness.

If the live show and their first two singles are any indication, Haelos is ready to party a bit more. “Buried in the Sand” and “Kyoto”, two of their most recent offerings, kicked off the set and put the crowd on notice – it might be 3:00 in the afternoon, but it’s time to dance.

Haelos does a great job of balancing strong vocal work and a tense aesthetic with a full electro sound and their live show amps everything up to 10. New tracks aside, the band still sounded best playing their debut material including “Dust”, a track that propelled them into the spotlight. But maybe that’s just my own familiarity and bias. Either way, they remain highly impressive and I’m curious to see what the new album brings.

Check them out.

Posted on by Ricky in South By Southwest

About Ricky

Britpop lovin Chinaman, consumer of all things irrelevant. Toronto Raptors fan.