It's been a while since the music community was bombarded with groups of the "trip-hop" variety. The basic configuration generally consisted of a gear-minded producer/arranger, and a dedicated female vocalist, as well as a few guests thrown into the mix. The genre brought us groups such as Portishead, Lamb, Olive, Mandalay, and to a lesser extent, Massive Attack.

It was a workable formula, although some groups found more commercial success than others. But with any sub-genre, it carried with it the stigma of the "me too" mentality. The fact that only a handful of artists found favor with the popular media tarnished the perceived originality that a lot of others brought to the table (since the style never became big enough to graduate from sub- to full-genre).

But with the ever-emerging worlds of MySpace and DIY music, that setup is coming more into vogue. And rightly so, since at its core it provides not only the basic elements for infinitely expandable music (electronic sound canvases limited only by your imagination, while being augmented by the humanity of voice), but also the convenience and low cost needed for entry by the masses.

Halou seem to have straddled both worlds, although their limited output may not give accurate testament to their longevity as a group. Originally emerging during the heyday of the trip-hop movement, the duo, consisting of first-name only members Ryan on various electronic gear and Rebecca on vocals, released their 1998 debut, We Only Love You. The record was a lush affair that displayed their talent, while also becoming a scrapbook for their many stylistic influences (ambient, chillout, drum 'n bass, movie scores, electronic breaks). The group focused their sound a bit more by the time of their first major-label release, 2001's Wiser on Nettwerk Records, which contained both a more consistent sound world as well as a heightened showcase of their craft as songwriters. Now, five years later, the group is finally back to self-release their new follow-up, Wholeness & Separation.

The first word that comes to mind when listening to the new record is "organic." That might seem strange for an electronic-based group, but the fact of the matter is that their creative mindset appears to be coming from a much more rooted sense of emotive expression than of the gearhead. Plus, live instruments interplay almost as much as their looped counterparts, with generous presence for guitar and string sections. Theirs is a sound world of wispy dreams and stark visions that could really only be properly communicated through created means and not entirely found objects.