- We're ascending.
- There's a track on HAAi's upcoming debut album, Baby, We're Ascending, called "Louder Always Better." That kind of sums up her approach right there. (See also: "Biggest Mood Ever.") Since her first record, 2017's "Be Good," her approach to dance music has been to make as dense, overwhelming and uplifting as possible. Much has been made of her background in psychedelic rock, which definitely informs records like the muggy, intense Motorik Voodoo Bush Doof Musik, but it's not the whole story. A better point of reference might be DJ Harvey lost in the Australian desert, but comparisons are beside the point. At this point, HAAi is completely unique.
The Australian producer has made quite a name for herself as a DJ in her adopted hometown of London, and while her album shoots off in all directions—from ecstatic rave-pop to sultry stunners—her RA Podcast captures the spark that makes her such a beloved force behind the decks. Weaving powerful techno from artists like Atrip and Piska Power with weirder, adventurous music courtesy of Cocktail Party Effect and Sha Sha Kimbo—plus a few tastes of HAAi's new album—it's an eclectic mix that's as windy and unpredictable as her records. Plus, it ends with classic track by The Cure. That's just good taste.
What are you grateful for these days?
So many things. I'm Grateful to have my job back. Grateful I get to produce music for a living. Grateful to be in love. Grateful I got asked to do this mix.
How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
I recorded this mix at home in my lil booth using two CDJ3000s and an E&S mixer. I wanted it to represent how I'm playing at the minute and also to show some snippets of my album. I also wanted it to celebrate queerness and queer artists.
Tell us about your new album—there are lots of collaborations, and you sing on the album, too. How did you approach it differently than your more dance-floor oriented EPs?
I loved the collaboration side of making Baby, We're Ascending. It wasn't something I'd done before as I was previously really protective of how I worked. However, it was so great to bring friends into the creative process and how much richer the whole experience was for it.
Daniel Miller really was the one who encouraged me to use my own voice on the album. I was incredibly nervous to completely put myself out there, but retrospectively it makes so much sense. Also will give more scope to a live performance.
As for how I approached it, I think because when I was writing the bulk of the album there were no dance floors. So it felt natural to make something to be listened to, rather than purely for the club.
Diversity and inclusivity is important to you, and you publicly have an inclusivity rider for shows you play. Do you think the problem of representation is getting better in dance music, and how do you think it can be addressed without tokenization?
Inclusivity is on the top of the list for me. It's great to be in a position where you have a voice in this.
However, I do feel as though it's the ones who are marginalized who are doing the most work. I find it incredibly frustrating seeing so many guys, who by nature of being straight white men, have been at the top of the food chain all along, are still taking bookings without looking at the lineups, or without having any consideration of inclusivity, they just play the party and take the paycheck.
I feel like we're in such an exciting time for dance music. I wonder if it's partly a product of the pandemic, it feels like so much more space has been made for marginalized artists to come through. One of the biggest things I'm still noticing however, is that it's all well and good to see things change on paper and seeing more balanced festival lineups as well as some bookers and promoters prioritizing this. But if your entire team is straight, white and male, then it can feel slightly like tokenism as no one will have lived experiences of being marginalized. I feel like for real long-lasting change to happen, things need to be diversified from the ground up.
What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to?
Sustainability and climate change. Also can we get rid of the fkn Tories already please.
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
Very excited for the album release! Really excited for a jam-packed festival season and am particularly excited for my first US tour this May, including playing Movement for the first time.
TracklistCocktail Party Effect - Racka
Kimshies 0 You Dust (Roe Deers remix)
Joshua James - Fist feat Leight Bowry (Peaches remix)
Piska Power - Trance Gate
Ekzander - On The Shelf
Simo Cell - Yes DJ
HAAi - Human Sound feat Kai-Isaiah Jamal & Obi Franky
Simkin - See You
Atrip - Elsa
Kuya Neil - Angel Shuffle
Pinz and Pelz - Dani Is a shoplifter
Sha Sha Kimbo - Wonder Tech
Tesla - Hackney Parrot (Mark Blair edit)
HAAi - FM
I.M.O.K.R.U.O.K.- Orla remix
Callum Magnum - Pressure
Azu Tiwaline & Al Wooton - Blue Dub
HAAi - Always Ascending v1 wip
HAAi - Baby, We’re Ascending feat Jon Hopkins
The Cure - A Forrest (Tree Mix)