There’s no one really doing it like London-based techno producer HAAi right now. Watching her meteoric rise to one of techno’s most exciting names has been nothing short of thrilling. And now her debut album, Baby We’re Ascending, is finally here.
HAAi’s sound is incredibly unique and fully realized on Baby We’re Ascending. While her work features the heavy, pulsing beat typical of techno, there’s also a dazzling lightness woven throughout, resulting in something ethereal. Not only does she explore this dynamic across tracks, but she even balances this within the same song multiple times on the album. Take “Pigeon Barron” for example: a delicate melodic synth forms the backbone of the song, but HAAi adds edginess by throwing in sharp glitchy effects. “FM” feels like a more traditional techno track with its industrial drumline, but even here there’s an unexpected element of elegance on the melodic bridge. The same goes for “Orca.”
Baby We’re Ascending is also full of collaborations that form perfect complements to HAAi’s work. Electronica king Jon Hopkins lends a hand on the title track, while Obi Franky lends her gorgeous voice to “Human Sound” and “Purple Jelly Disc.” HAAi also highlights several fellow queer artists, including spoken word poet Kai Isaiah Jamal, and engineer Francine Perry, which underlines her commitment to advocating as a queer female within a male-dominated space.
This album is truly a triumph and shows us HAAi has a long, exciting career ahead. We can’t recommend checking it out enough, which you can do using the link below. Enjoy!
HAAi – Baby We’re Ascending