Helena Hauff // Qualm (Ninja Tune)
Aside from a track here or there, her studio output has never blown me away. Seeing her DJ is another story though, absolute force of nature but very fun as well. Basically: I’m hoping this album is the one for me. Not that anything she’s put out has been bad, just there is a massive difference of my enjoyment of her sets and my enjoyment of her productions. I want her to win.
agreed with @repentxnce above, I have not heard the album, so this post is submitted without comment
Yeah, I find she has a particular knack for mixing electro that makes it more engaging than I’d usually find it for sure. When she played here last month I loved that she just dove right into the hard stuff with no apologies.
interested to hear what direction she goes this time, cos the last album was a downtempo, “home listening” vibe – John Carpenter/Vangelis etc. at the time i was a bit disappointed cos those early tapes she did seemed way more in line with her attitude as a DJ, more splattery and visceral.
the track titles are good at least!
From the previews on Soundcloud it seems like more home listening. The press release says there are some bangers in there though, so who knows?
re: the 'have you seen it" EP she released on Ninja Tune - Does anyone find something weird about the production on it? Any time i listen, any time a track from it comes on in a mix, it just sounds really wrong. Very compressed or something? I don’t have enough expertise to say what it is exactly.
What are people saying on this? It’s way more low key than I was expecting, but I quite like it. It picks up a bit of steam in the second half. My overall opinion that she absolutely slays as a DJ but her productions (for the most part) aren’t for me, hasn’t really changed though. The album lacks a standout hit like Spur or C45p. Not that every album really needs a hit, but just seems weird for I think what was supposed to be her “break out” on Ninja Tune.
I really enjoyed the whole record, definitely went a few more directions than the initial few tracks hinted at. Lots of distressed electro and some weirder synth jams!
needed a few listens but i’m starting to dig it now. in her own words, “it’s raw”. big up Helena!
Ninja Tune is a label I love diving into every now and then. I recently checked in and went for this album. Really loving the grit on it. Raw and industrial. I feel like I’m dancing in a club soaked to the knees in a chemical bath.