Review: HAAI :: Baby, We’re Ascending

Sometimes it pays to change faculties. After the dissolution of her shoegaze band Dark Bells, Teneil Throssel switched to electronic training, played at the London club Phonox as HAAi and landed a deal with the select Mute label. Then: Lockdown – and endless time to give the debut album everything that’s possible.

? Buy BABY, WE’RE ASCENDING at Amazon.de

Throssel starts BABY, WE’RE ASCENDING with an Autechre recalculated computer crash, followed by club anthems welded together from dark-flowery vocals, pounding nineties rave rhythms and playful samples. In addition to elements of drum’n’bass, vocal house and footwork, techno master Jon Hopkins is also allowed to play. In the title track, he unpacks the antique rave drum and Throssel lets her bittersweet vocals soar over it. This woman builds in umpteen surprises, pauses, glaring background noise, polyrhythmic rumble, only to then shake up the big disco in a euphoric drop with pounding beats.

In the midst of this genre catalogue, Hot Chips Alexis Taylor gives his voice to the decelerated but no less pounding “Biggest Mood Ever”. Nice, but unnecessary – because Throssel doesn’t have to hide the queer melancholy of their own vocals. Singing, she puts an unmistakable stamp on her treasure trove of ideas. This album wants a lot and sometimes everything. Which is enough to unfold a compelling narrative.

Author: Michael Prenner

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