Shade / Happy Trees by John Tejada & Laurel Halo

The release brings together two artists with long histories in electronic music, both currently based in Los Angeles and connected through CalArts. After each of them spending recent time in more experimental and atmospheric territory, Tejada and Halo came together in person to make something more driving. The result is two tracks they have been describing simply as "bangers": music built with club systems in mind, but still full of detail, atmosphere, and a slightly left-field edge.

"Shade" leans darker and more focused, pairing a driving rhythmic structure with tense harmonic movement and shadowed textures. "Happy Trees" opens things up with more lift and playfulness, balancing low-end pressure, melodic fragments, and a loose, surreal sense of motion. Both tracks carry the feeling of two distinct musical voices finding a natural way to meet in the studio.

For Tejada, the release continues a recent return to rhythm-forward material on Palette, reconnecting with the club-focused side of his work while carrying over the texture and mood of his newer productions. Halo brings her own deeply personal language of atmosphere, low-end movement, improvisational detail, and sonic nuance, shaping the tracks into something that feels immediate without becoming obvious.

John Tejada & Laurel Halo - Shade / Happy Trees
Release Date 12th June 2026
Label Palette Recordings

Tracklist
1. John Tejada & Laurel Halo - Shade
2. John Tejada & Laurel Halo - Happy Trees