Inside The Credits 017: Teo Halm
The Complex Subtext Beneath Teo Halm’s Focused Arrangements For Omar Apollo
My favorite song from the month of April was “Spite” by Omar Apollo. It is one of my favorite songs of the year tied with Willow’s “symptom of life.” I like both songs because they are sort of the inverse of each other. The Willow song on the surface seems complex with an off kilter rhythm and wavering vocal pattern. Yet, thematically the track is a straightforward rumination on anxiety. The Apollo song grooves in simplicity with just a few instruments capturing a steady pulse. But the unembellished sounds allow Apollo lyrically to explore a seemingly infinite gray area of love that can’t seem to be nailed down. Apollo’s main producer Teo Halm condensed all of the emotions on “Spite” into a vulnerable singular soundscape. One that channels your ear to the heart within Apollo’s entropy.
As soon as I heard “Spite,” I had to know where Teo Halm came from. His first ever credit came on a lone single for one of my favorite mid 2010s genre bending crooner/rappers, Raury. Halm co-produced “NEVERALONE” alongside DJ Khalil which holds some of the exact same mastery as “Spite.” However, it highlights emotionally fighting through loneliness as opposed to relationship confusion. Much like on “Spite,” the drums on “NEVERALONE” are open and rolling. Yet, when Raury’s raps open into layered intertwining croons, the arrangement feels tactfully disoriented within Raury’s psyche.
Next for Halm came a two song acoustic guitar laden entry on Kevin Abstract from Brockhampton’s solo debut album American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story. “Tattoo” and “Yellow” each hold more elements in their compositions than “Spite” or “NEVERALONE,” but still end up feeling quite restrained. They proved an immediate proficiency for Halm on guitar led tracks as he helped provide Abstract a quaintly dusty canvas to croon over.
One more guitar centered track “Uno Dos” by Southern California crooner ¿Téo? feat. Jaden Smith set up Halm’s soon to follow first track with Apollo, “Today.” This song proved a natural chemistry which would lead to one of Apollo’s most enticing songs ever in “Trouble.” Knowing Apollo tapped Halm for “Trouble” makes it make full sense that he tapped him again for “Spite.” There is a beautiful melancholy displayed on “Trouble” that was stripped down to its most pure feeling. Then later on “Spite,” that feeling would become even more twisted, energetic, and masterful. Apollo found the perfect partner in Halm to sink into his feelings with.
Alongside this initial Apollo proficiency, Halm also had a bit of a run with Alt R&B specialist Choker for four songs over two projects in 2018 and 2019. Each song has a guitar element and feels a bit gloomy, yet sweet. This tone carries over into one more track from this era in “Momma” by Quadry, which brought back Halm’s instrumental proficiency in supporting both rapping and singing with guitar beneath layered lyrics. On the song, Quadry ruminates on the complexity of his relationship with his mother as an adult pursuing a career in music. Halm offered him a wistful pocket to do just that.
Next came a six pack of punchier and more Pop leaning co-producing on tracks seemingly out of nowhere before Halm could go back to Apollo with new energy. Two of them were alongside dynamic Spanish songstress Rosalía via the tracks “Con Altura” feat. El Guincho & J Balvin and “TKN” feat. Travis Scott where Halm acted as a composer. But added to that were also Pop/Hip Hop focused tracks including “Days Like This” by Goldlink feat. Khalid, “Square Up” by IDK feat. Juicy J, “To Be Young” by Anne-Marie feat. Doja Cat, and most prominently “MOOD 4EVA” by Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, & Oumou Sangaré.
Halm volleyed those releases into making “Kamikaze” with Apollo for his 2020 album Apolonio. The track maintained their smooth melancholy, but also added elements of sass and swagger. The Alt Funk R&B number presents Apollo crooning about a spicy chance encounter with an old flame. Halm developed his range so he could meet Apollo at his next stage where he was sinking less into his sorrow and creating with more vainglory.
Apollo’s next era included two songs produced by Halm where the sadness returned amidst the love: “Bad Life” feat. Kali Uchis and “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All).” This new version of melancholy though added another theme of resentment. The testing ground where Halm found this emotional frequency came in the form of seven varying sad and mad songs for the likes of Tierra Whack, Miley Cyrus, Charlotte Day Wilson, Troye Sivan, Baby Keem, FKA Twigs, and Rosalía (again). In totality, they helped Halm form canvases that opened up portals to an artist’s soul while also maneuvering cadences perfect for stunting.
The missing element to get to the core of Apollo was figuring out how to access his bare vulnerability through an arrangement. A final rounded array of songs which helped Halm find just that included tracks from eight artists: Tanna Leone, Ravyn Lenae, Rex Orange County, Kid Cudi, Arima Ederra, Lous and the Yakuza, and SZA. While all Halm’s instrumentals up to this point for Apollo had simplicity, what they still didn’t quite master was the element of something totally raw. Each artist of the eight Halm created with, from the middle to the end of 2022, had artistic prowess riddled in being as open as they could be. He even produced the song “Open Arms” for SZA on her impeccable SOS album, which features drums that feel like they’re crying amidst their trickling heart centered tempo.
This epiphany bled into two songs from Apollo’s soul stirring 2023 Live For Me Ep, “Ice Slippin” and “Pilot.” The subtle tear-dropping synth at the beginning of “Ice Slippin” turns into a rainstorm when the drums enter as Apollo leans wholeheartedly into the complexity of his romantic feelings. On “Pilot” both Halm and Apollo dive headfirst into imperfection, allowing for the soundscape and the melodies to feel faded, re-tuned, and tender. There was nothing resembling a barrier to the internal wreckage any longer.
“Spite” has now allowed the duo to finesse that peak artistry into what feels like a hit single and one of the best songs of the year. Their musicianship proficiency met poignantly with their emotional fearlessness.
Inside The Credits 017: Teo Halm- The Playlists