For almost 20 years now, the Chicago-based artist Circuit des Yeux has been building her own idiosyncratic musical language, one that is in a constant state of development, in communication with but apart from the larger indie music landscape. Through the years, her style, at once spectral and melodic, has shifted through genres and fidelities but maintained an ineffable spirit that marks the music as Circuit des Yeux. 

Last month, the artist—real name: Haley Fohr—put out Halo On The Inside, a collection of synth-driven tracks that push her signature sense of atmosphere into the corner of the dancefloor. It seemed like a good occasion to go deep with Fohr about some of her formative influences and musical memories. Give the piece a read below, and check out Halo On The Inside, which is out now on Matador.

What are some of your earliest musical memories? Did you sing a lot as a child? 

 

Circuit des Yeux: My earliest musical memories are mostly public school stuff. Singing in choirs, being little, and recognizing the resonant ability I had at a young age. I did sing a lot, but only in private. I was a very shy child and my parents weren’t aware of my acute, serious interest in singing until I was around 13 or 14 years old. I have two sisters and we would always sing Christmas songs at the top of our lungs on Christmas Eve when driving home from my Aunt’s house. My dad would call us “The 3 Fohrs” like we were some doo-wop group from the 50s. We had a piano in the house. Music was never a central point, but the fact that I could tinker and experiment in hindsight, is very remarkable. 

 

Growing up in Indiana, were you surrounded by any local music that made an impact on you at a young age? How were you getting access to music?

 

My first introduction to alternative music was through my father. He loves all the music that good Indiana dads like—Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd … things of the classic rock nature. I remember sometimes feeling really frustrated and he would invite me out to the garage and we would sit in his 1988 gold Chevy Nova and listen to his CD collection. He bought me DVDs of Pink Floyd’s The Wall and a Led Zeppelin documentary that would become very influential to me. I started dating a boy when I was 17 who was in a punk band and showed me where the record shop in town was located. I remember my first vinyl purchase was Billie Holiday and The Brainbombs, which isn’t too dissimilar to where my music ended up, sonically speaking. Downtown Records hosted shows for bands from out of town. I saw Be Your Own Pet, Cheveu, and other garage rock bands around at the time. That’s when I decided to start my own punk band. We were called Cro Magnon. We were basically a rip off of Teenage Jesus and The Jerks. The only place we were allowed to play was a gay bar called Zoolegers. It was run by my choir choreographer teacher at the time. He was queer and knew I was underage, but would let me be there and play music anyway. I guess I found the cracks in the wall of my town and learned how to make music in them.

 

What drew you to lo-fi and dissonant music? When did that click for you?

 

I think I turned to lo-fi and dissonant music because of my parameters. I come from a lower middle class family and couldn’t really afford any instruments. I used money my grandmother gave me for graduation to buy a four-track cassette recorder that had an internal microphone. It really cut the learning curve for me and I used that internal microphone for just about everything. I am self-taught on all instruments, hence the embracement of dissonance. I never really learned cover songs or proper chords, which is why a lot of CdY chord structures have unique voicings and get kind of clustery. Someone recommended a compilation called No New York around the same time I started dating my boyfriend at 17. It really excited me. Once I was listening to Glenn Branca and James Chance, I felt compelled to express myself without worrying about my ineptitude as an instrumentalist. 

Do you think your music has any quintessentially Midwestern qualities? 

 

Yes. The Midwest is where everything is made. It’s filled with the sound of factories, and is also where process has an identity. Process and hard work are the most essential ingredients to my art. If I don’t feel the challenge, or cannot be proud of the process, it loses intrinsic value.  

 

Looking over your body of work, do you see any major throughlines that connect everything, and connect back to your upbringing?

 

I’ve never really looked over my entire body of work and thought about the throughline. My art was initially born out of a great personal depression, the first of a few I have now lived through. I think my music will always be about grappling with reality in an emotional way.

 

When you are making records, are you consciously referencing music that you like and inspires you? How direct is that line between influences and creation? 

 

I have softened to the idea that modern art affects my own creations. For the first decade of my career I was fastidious about cleansing my pallet and working to create something that felt truly one of a kind. I wouldn’t listen to the radio. As an adult I consciously didn’t have a television until around 2017. In recent years, specifically after the pandemic, I have embraced music, books, and film as being direct inspiration for songs. I am never consciously trying to reference anything when I am creating. It’s more like I’m in some kind of flow state and in hindsight I’m like “wait a minute … I think I just lifted a line from that Talk Talk song.” I think recreation, inspiration, recycling, referencing, are totally valid choices in modern music. It’s possible that creativity is just an atmosphere that is here on earth, and we are all just plucking creation down from the same cloud.

Are there any scenes you are not a part of but still influence you?

 

Post-punk as a sound is pretty influential to me. I love a melodic bass line, pushed up way louder than the guitar. Anything queer or gay is awesome. Maybe I identify as queer. I've dated women, but I’m pretty reclusive in the social regard. I wouldn't go out to a "queer night" event, but I love when I know they are happening. I like to dance, but it’s a 50/50 chance that I’ll show up and then leave. I’m pretty introverted. The feeling has to be right. I love science fiction books, but would never dare join a book club for fear of stumbling over my words. 

 

Any dream collaborations?

 

I don’t have any person at the top of my mind, but I would love to score a play or a film. Dance is so provocative. It would be amazing to work within the dance realm.

 

What non-musical inputs have been inspiring you lately?

 

I watch a lot of animal documentaries right now. I forget about animals. They are so psychedelic and morally sound. They kill to survive of course, but they don’t manipulate people out of their money, or try to use religion to harbor power over others. Most of them look so insanely beautiful and weird. I wish I had closer access to the animal kingdom.

 

I also read a lot more than I used to. If you want to take care of your mental health, read a book.