untitled (halo) – aimee lou wood freestyle
Beginning with about one minute into “aimee lou wood freestyle”, untitled (halo)’s new single transitions away from its shoegaze roots. The layering of guitar parts and vocals created through the use of various effects by guitarist/lead vocalist Ariana Mamnoon gives way to the nonchalant delivery of rapper Jack Dione. He delivers his flat, detached rap verses without pause or forethought.
The LA four-piece, rounded out by Jay Are and Nicholas Noneman, has been quietly building an audience since 2023, when the EP towncryer introduced their loose, hard-to-pin-down sound. A second EP, headbanger, followed in 2024, alongside a run of singles and a 2025 split with The Voyeurs. Now signed to Dirty Hit, they’ll release their self-titled debut album on November 6th, written over the course of a year in their studio in Glassell Park.
When “aimee lou wood freestyle” began development as a demo for the album, the original intention was to create a song with which the band could promote their upcoming debut. As such, the writing credits for the completed version of the song reflect the contributions made by each member of the band. Specifically, Jay Are created the drum pattern in the form of a trap beat; Jack Dione wrote and recorded the rap verse he delivered in the song; Ariana Mamnoon both wrote and sang the majority of the lyrics and lead vocals on the song; and Nicholas Noneman played synthesizer during the song’s closing section. When asked how he felt about repeating certain elements of the song to create a specific atmosphere, Jay Are stated that using repetition gave the song a different texture, similar to William Basinski’s work involving decaying tapes. While I questioned whether or not the shoegaze to rap dynamic would successfully coexist within “aimee lou wood freestyle,” I found that instead of simply existing side-by-side, the two sections of the song argued with one another.
Tour Dates
Europe
- Sep. 9 / Barcelona, Spain / Sala VOL
- Sep. 11 / Oslo, Norway / by:Larm Fest
- Sep. 12 / Frankfurt, Germany / Blow Fest
- Sep. 14 / London, UK / Windmill
- Sep. 15 / London, UK / Windmill
- Sep. 16 / Paris, France / Supersonic
- Sep. 17 / Amsterdam, Netherlands / Tolhuistuin
- Sep. 18 / Hamburg, Germany / Reeperbahn Fest
- Sep. 20 / Berlin, Germany / 8MM
North America
- Nov. 11 / Philadelphia, PA / Kung Fu Necktie
- Nov. 12 / Baltimore, MD / Metro Gallery
- Nov. 14 / New York, NY / Baby’s All Right
- Nov. 18 / San Francisco, CA / Brick & Mortar
- Nov. 24 / Los Angeles, CA / The Echo
