Quarantine (Laurel Halo album)

Quarantine is the debut album by American electronic musician Laurel Halo, released on May 21, 2012 by Hyperdub. It received acclaim from critics, and was named release of the year by British magazine The Wire.

Quarantine
Studio album by Laurel Halo
Released	May 21, 2012
Recorded	July 2011–February 2012
Studio	Endless Echo (Brooklyn) So Many Fields (Brooklyn) 4AD (London)
Genre	Avant-pop[1] electronic[2] ambient pop[3]
Length	41:19
Label	Hyperdub
Producer	Laurel Halo
Laurel Halo chronology
Antenna (2011) Quarantine (2012) Behind the Green Door (2013)

Background

Halo recorded Quarantine between July 2011 and February 2012 primarily in her home studio, with some instrument tracks also recorded in London.[4] She made over thirty demos, eighteen of which were deleted.[4] In November 2011, Halo sent the LP demos to Hyperdub label head Steve Goodman, who responded with positive interest.[4]

Initially applying extensive echo and reverb to her vocals, which she found "supremely boring", Halo instead opted to leave them dry and unadorned, stating that "it was tempting to use autotune but I decided against it because there's this brutal, sensual ugliness in the vocals uncorrected, and painfully human vocals made sense."[4] Speaking to Fact, she described the album's thematic focus as "contrails, trauma, volatile chemicals, viruses."[4][5]

The album cover features an adaptation of Harakiri School Girls, a work by Makoto Aida which Halo chose for the artwork after seeing it at an exhibition on Japanese pop art in New York.[6] She stated that "I love that it's brutal and violent but colourful and slow to sink in."[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.7/10[7]
Metacritic	80/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Fact	4/5[2]
The Guardian	[5]
The Irish Times	[10]
Mojo	[11]
NME	6/10[12]
Pitchfork	8.0/10[13]
Resident Advisor	4.0/5[14]
Spin	7/10[15]
XLR8R	8/10[16]

Quarantine received positive critical reviews from critics, with an aggregate score of 80 out of 100 on Metacritic.[8] The Wire named Quarantine as the "release of the year" in its annual critics' poll.[17] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork called the album "something definitive" and Halo's "best and most cohesive work to date."[13] The Quietus called it "one of this year's most intriguing and divisive listens," and noted that "what's blasted her music headlong into the future is its re-integration of those most ancient of musical devices – the unadorned human voice, verse/chorus structures – into environments they’re usually so thoroughly unfamiliar with."[18] The Guardian wrote that "it manages to sidestep pretension at almost every turn, partly due to the near-naive vocals that dominate the warm crackle and glow."[5] Resident Advisor states "Quarantine binds her past sounds into a toxic, lush blend of ambient suspension and disorienting detail," and called the album Halo's "most immersive and beautiful work to date."[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Laurel Halo.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Airsick"	3:58
2.	"Years"	2:52
3.	"Thaw"	5:59
4.	"Joy"	3:27
5.	"MK Ultra"	4:17
6.	"Wow"	1:23
7.	"Carcass"	4:30
8.	"Holoday"	1:50
9.	"Tumor"	2:40
10.	"Morcom"	3:03
11.	"Nerve"	2:31
12.	"Light + Space"	4:49
Total length:		41:19

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Quarantine.[19]

• Laurel Halo – production, recording, mixing, vocals, Wurlitzer electric piano, Access Virus Xl, Akai Ax-60, Akai Mpc 1000, Arp 2600, Elektron Octatrack, Fender Jaguar, Korg Electribe Es-1, Korg Ms-20, Korg Monopoly, Korg Polysix, Mfb Synth Ii, Roland D-50, Roland Juno-106, Roland Sh-101, Yamaha Cs-80
• Zeljko McMullen – mixing
• Jason Goz – mastering
• Makoto Aida – artwork
• Kei Miyajima – photography
• Manuel Sepulveda – layout

References

1. Daly, Aidan (June 26, 2017). "Dust by Laurel Halo / Album Review". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
2. Shaw, Steve (June 4, 2012). "Laurel Halo: Quarantine". Fact. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
3. Cliff, Aimee (June 16, 2017). "Laurel Halo is Having More Fun". The Fader. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
4. Foxx, Trilby (March 24, 2012). "Laurel Halo on working with Hyperdub and the pursuit of "sensual ugliness"". Fact. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
5. Nicholson, Rebecca (May 31, 2012). "Laurel Halo: Quarantine – review". The Guardian. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
6. Pelly, Jenn (June 13, 2012). "Take Cover: Laurel Halo: Quarantine". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
7. "Quarantine by Laurel Halo reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
8. "Reviews for Quarantine by Laurel Halo". Metacritic. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
9. Kellman, Andy. "Quarantine – Laurel Halo". AllMusic. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
10. Carroll, Jim (May 25, 2012). "Laurel Halo". The Irish Times. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
11. "Laurel Halo: Quarantine". Mojo (225): 87. August 2012.
12. Gardner, Noel (May 25, 2012). "Laurel Halo – 'Quarantine'". NME. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
13. Cohen, Ian (June 7, 2012). "Laurel Halo: Quarantine". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
14. Miller, Derek (June 21, 2012). "Laurel Halo – Quarantine". Resident Advisor. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
15. Sherburne, Philip (June 11, 2012). "Laurel Halo, 'Quarantine' (Hyperdub)". Spin. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
16. Jackson, Glenn (May 29, 2012). "Laurel Halo: Quarantine". XLR8R. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
17. "2012 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–50". The Wire. No. 347. London. January 2013. p. 32 – via Exact Editions.
18. Gibb, Rory (October 23, 2012). "Interview: Laurel Halo". The Quietus. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
19. Quarantine (LP liner notes). Laurel Halo. Hyperdub. 2012. HDBLP014.CS1 maint: others (link)