- Melbournite purveyors of things dark, squelchy and electronic, Habits, make a timely return with their second EP of electro-gothic-r’n’b-dance mayhem, a couple of years after their first, fierce little effort.
The duo of Maia and Mohini are going at it that much more hard and in-your-face, this time round. Just check out the pendulously-breasted packshot slapped on the front of the EP for evidence of that. More seriously, often it’s the tempos which bound along, ever faster, at other times it’s just the pure weight of the production, crashing into the ears. Most of those moments from Ugly Cry where the sparseness of electro was allowed to ring out are gone, buried beneath layers of beats and synths.
M&M have described it themselves, in reference to what is, ostensibly, the oldest cut here, Selfie, which got reworked into its current guise for the EP: It used to be a lot slower and less energetic because we made it when we were just producer babies.” Ironically, as they’ve got more experienced behind the boards, the claustrophobic onslaught the band have created is that much less distinct; you might even call it lo-fi.
I don’t think that’ll be a deal-breaker for fans, after all, all those things we’ve loved in the past -the electro, the goth and most obviously the dark r’n’b- they’re all here. There are some other new additions: you’ll hear a trap beat on Follow when it mutates out of r’n’b into generic banger territory. Maybe I’m going soft, but it’s hard to hate even a cheesy move like that. Buried under all the other production detritus it hardly sounds like Hudmo, right?
Still, if I did have a gripe with where Habits are at right now, it would be in their deliberate tastelessness. It’s what they’re going for on a cut like Selfie, parodying the teeny boppers with the refrain “I’m gonna put some lipstick on / I’m gonna take a selfie!” pitched shifted down into the basement and repeated ad nauseum: in taking the piss out of the masses it accidently slips into self-parody.
If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, there’s tons to like about Salty. Thunderous bass, propulsive beats and sorrowful, sweet r’n’b. I don’t know about your doctor, but it’s exactly what mine ordered and just in time to refill my prescription.
- Chris Cobcroft.