A Record of Exchange: How Haloplus+ Turn Collaboration into Music

Daria Slikker
4 hours ago
4 min read

In the middle of lockdown, when the world was confined to screens and group chats, Haloplus+ began to take shape. The Copenhagen trio – Isa Nam Sook, Joakim Wei Bernild, and Stine Victoria Pedersen – started trading demos over messages, their early sketches unfolding like digital conversations between friends. That sense of exchange never left; it remains at the core of what Haloplus+ do. Whether it’s a song, a piece of merch, or a live event, everything they make exists in a shared creative space, constantly circling between ideas and people.

Their debut album, Musicality (released at the end of September), captures that same fluid energy. It moves between textures and moods, samples, beats, field recordings, fragments of melody, drifting from raw emotion to pop clarity. Each track feels like a snapshot, unpolished but full of life. With backgrounds spanning Denmark, China, and Korea, no single member claiming ownership of their songs, Haloplus+ work less like a traditional band, and more like a living, breathing ecosystem of sound.

We caught up with Haloplus+ to talk about the beginnings of their friendship, the making of Musicality, and why imperfection feels so freeing.

You first started Haloplus+ during lockdown, trading demos in a group chat. What do you remember about that time, and how did it turn into a real project?

Our surroundings and daily lives changed completely, and that shift made us feel like something new had to happen. It affected what we listened to, what we searched for, and even how our friendship evolved. We were all in a friend group and held these Zoom parties where we’d dress up, play music for each other, and sing karaoke. If someone learned something on the flute, they’d perform it and we’d all cheer – it was really sweet. That sense of play and connection made it feel like we were hanging out in real life, and that spirit carried into the way we made music.

Isa and Joakim started making songs together, and then Isa was invited to play a show with Spellcaster at Christianhavns Beboerhus. She asked the rest of us to join, and that’s when it suddenly became something tangible. It wasn’t like we set out to start a band or plan a rollout, it just happened naturally. The response from that first show was so warm and exciting that we decided to keep going.

Your debut album Musicality just came out last month – how does it feel to finally have it out in the world?

It’s funny because we finished it half a year before releasing it, so by the time it came out, it almost felt like rediscovering it. With our first EP, everything moved much faster, but this one had more time to sit. Listening back now, we can hear it as music instead of something we’re still tinkering with, which is nice. It feels like it finally has a life outside the studio.

Because so much of what we do comes from memos and scattered files, hearing it all tied together as a finished record is satisfying. Otherwise, we’d probably just keep reworking things forever.

The record moves through so many sounds and textures. Was there a moment when you felt like, “ok this is what Haloplus+ sounds like”?

Not really. It’s been a fluid and fragmented process from the start. The songs came together in so many different ways: some were written by one of us, some together, others individuals. There isn’t a single ‘Haloplus+ sound,’ it’s more about how all the different pieces blend when they sit next to each other. When we arranged the tracklist, we noticed that some songs didn’t fit together at first, but once time passed and we looked at it as one piece of work, it made sense. Even if it wasn’t planned, it somehow became cohesive and defined its own world.

Collaboration seems to sit at the heart of Haloplus+ from songwriting to visuals to events. How do you balance individual ideas with the collective energy that defines the band?

We try to keep things open and not overthink every detail. Everyone can contribute their ideas, and we only change something if it really needs it. We trust each other’s instincts and aesthetics. If one of us shifts direction, the others usually understand where it’s coming from and go with it. That mutual understanding is what makes the collaboration work.

We’ve built a space where ideas can come out unfiltered – things that might feel too vulnerable or messy to share alone. Working as a group gives you a kind of freedom, because you can take creative risks without feeling totally exposed. That’s why every song is credited equally; it’s all by the collective.

You all come from different backgrounds – do you think that mix of cultures and perspectives shapes your sound?

Maybe it did more in the beginning, but now it feels more intuitive. We all have eclectic tastes, and it’s less about bringing specific influences and more about letting them blend naturally. We’re all just artists with wide interests, and that openness has probably shaped our sound more than any one background.

You’ve said you’re not too worried about perfection, but more about capturing a moment. What kind of moments are you hoping to catch right now?

We’d love to get a song on the Grand Theft Auto VI soundtrack…so if anyone out there can help, please reach out. Right now, we’re mostly focused on our live set. It’s been a year since we last played, so we’re figuring out how to bring these songs to life on stage again. Touring is something we’re slowly working toward, though it has to fit around our lives in Copenhagen.

We’d love to collaborate with m-Flo, or maybe Y2K92 from Seoul as we really connect with their creative approach. We're also open to working with artists outside music, like in fashion or events. Honestly, if anyone’s reading this, even students, get in touch. We love that kind of exchange.