Put Your Head Above The Parakeets

Album review

HAAi's debut EP for Mute, 2019's Systems Up, Windows Down, was a scorching set of psychedelic techno perfect for a remote, generator-powered bush rave. Her second release for the label is shorter and initially subtler, starting out with faint crackling, rhythmic pulsations, and ghostly time-stretched vocals. It takes a while for a wayward breakbeat to kick in, and even then it sounds like it's struggling to catch its footing. "Rotating in Unison" is more contemplative, sounding like it's crumbling before a gorgeous, clear-eyed organ melody begins to hold it together. Only the final two tracks land at hard, measured kick drums, and "Bon Viveur" takes its time to build up anticipation, cycling through trippy effects, pitched-up breakbeats, and dramatic pauses before going full steam ahead. "Bass Is the Place" gets down to brass tacks, with growling bass and slamming beats leading the charge, and while it's the EP's most immediate track by far, it's still intricately crafted and considered, with no element feeling out of place. The EP takes longer to get under one's skin than its predecessor, but it demonstrates HAAi's skills at taking the listener's mind to unexpected states, and marks an intriguing evolution in this exciting artist's adventurous sound.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo