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TRASH HALO INSECT GANG

Members: Tulip (vocals), Rodan (vocals), Glyph (producer), Ruskin (producer)

TRASH HALO INSECT GANG (formerly known as The Harold Holt Memorial Orchestra) is a hip-hop collective credited with pioneering Subterranean Rap - a subgenre characterised by cavernous reverb-heavy basslines, rattling martial drums, squelchy synth effects, ethereal ambient pads, and raw unprocessed vocals. Lyrics typically focus on topics such as occultism, gnosticism, and witchcraft. Stylistically, Subterranean Rap is heavily influenced by songs such as “Afghanistan” by Yung Lean, “I’m Overflow” by Death Grips, and “PAUSE” by Jimmy Edgar & Matt Ox.

BACKGROUND

Tulip is a communist puppygirl who co-founded TRASH HALO INSECT GANG alongside Glyph. She drinks at least two caffeinated energy drinks a day in order to maintain a constant level of intense energy, and can be comically absent-minded or easily distracted at times. Somehow, Tulip balances this with a fanatic devotion to religion, to the point of being considered one of the greatest living scholars of theology. One of Tulip’s proudest achievements is beating a minor deity in a debate on its own religion. Aside from being an avid reader of theology in general, Tulip specialises in literature regarding Christian socialism. In particular, she focuses on the works of thinkers such as John Ruskin, Jacques Ellul, and Leo Tolstoy.

Rodan is a social media influencer who initially began gaining popularity online with his post-ironic underground fashion company that drew heavily on the aesthetics of popular conspiracy theories. One of the most infamous items from this short-lived endevaour was a series of baseball caps wrapped in tinfoil, which became the centre of a viral selfie trend shortly after release, as well as a limited edition “chemtrail” vape flavour.

Glyph is a radio DJ who co-founded TRASH HALO INSECT GANG alongside Tulip. As one of the group’s two producers, Glyph draws heavily from the genres of deconstructed club and ambient pop to create the unique layered soundscapes that have come to define Subterranean Rap. Their work as a producer began early during their career as a radio DJ, being driven to explore new artists and further flesh out their mixes. This provided inspiration for Glyph to create their own songs, which they would begin occasionally inserting into their DJ mixes. This early work also included remixes of the produer Ruskin, which would later lead to the two working together.

Ruskin is an anonymous producer located within the United Kingdom. Drawing heavily from their solo production work in genres such as post-dubstep and future garage, Ruskin is arguably responsible for the “Subterranean” aspect of Subterranean Rap with their ability to channel powerful low-end frequencies into catchy rhythms. Due to their preferred anonymity, Ruskin has no social media presence and obscures their face with a porcelain kitsune mask during rare public appearances. Their introduction to TRASH HALO INSECT GANG began after a back-to-back DJ set with Glyph at an underground rave, when the collective was still known as The Harold Holt Memorial Orchestra.

DISCOGRAPHY (In Chronological Order Of Release)

Mixtapes / Albums

Extended Plays

Singles