Apparently, HAAi’s latest long player was originally meant to be a companion piece to her HUMANiSE album from last year. It clearly soon evolved into a completely stand-alone piece of work though. For where HUMANiSE is characterised by laidback and mellow ambient pop, DIGITiSE is unapologetically aimed at dragging listeners onto the dancefloor to work up a glorious sweat – even if it does continue to explore what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.
Blurring the lines between trippy vibes, warm melodies and techno-flavoured beats, it has more than a sniff of the 1990s’ scene of Orbital, Underworld and even the Aphex Twin but brings plenty of new atmospheres and sounds to the party. From the glitchy, abstract techno of “Printerlude” to the uplifting ambient electronica of “Ignition” and the infectious cosmic wig-out of “HUMANiSE Radio”, DIGITiSE keeps the groove going and best heard as one extended listening before it finally winds down with the atmospheric comedown of “Talking Walls”.
Introducing collaborators like Echonomist, Pat Alvarez and James Massiah, HAAi blends together different sounds that reflect the skills she brings from her parallel career as a DJ, mixing up twisted, head-spinning weirdery and hypnotic foot-stomping grooves that take the listener on a journey that seems to compress time while still being more than listenable away from the centre of a crowd of like-minded ravers. For while DIGITiSE may be designed to soundtrack a community of funsters and to encourage unity and togetherness, it still has plenty to engage the mind in a more relaxed space.
Like all fine electronic music, HAAi’s new album enhances the grooves of machine-made sounds with an emotional heft and is an uplifting counterbalance to the grim technology-led dystopia that we find ourselves rocketing towards – offering a supremely soulful alternative that we can all tune into.
