Forming in 2013, it didn’t take long for Melbourne’s self-styled “Sad Goth Party Jam” act HABITS to become local favourites. Their unique blend of dark-wave electro and party inducing techno has seen them become one of Australia’s most fascinating live acts.
After two attention commanding singles ‘Ether’ and ‘Reverend Mother’, the two piece (Mohini and Matt) have now finally released their debut EP Ugly Cry. Tte release of Ugly Cry sees the two piece blow all those expectations out of the water with this, one of 2016’s most defining Aussie EP releases.
To celebrate the release of Ugly Cry, the duo will be launching the EP at Northcote Social Club this Saturday April 23rd with support from Lucy Clichè, Geryon and ASPS (DJs). Ahead of the EP launch we caught up with Mohini and Matt to find out just what records shaped this fascinating two piece.
Nun- NUN
2014, Aarght Records
Matt: NUN are absolutely 100% the best band in Melbourne. I remember being jaw-drop captivated when I first heard them, it was like when Sarah Jessica Parker bewitches the children in Hocus Pocus, only with synths and yelling.
I’d never heard anything which is as jarring as it is catchy and danceable. The synth lines veer between being sinister and cheeky, the beats pummel and the whole thing is garnished with effing creepy occult-themed sound bites.
This LP came out in 2014 and is still revealing new surprises upon multiple (read: innumerable) listens and Jenny Branagan’s vocal performance still provokes a physical, visceral reaction with its elemental force.
Cibo Matto – Viva La Woman
1996, Warner Bros. Records
Matt: This album is an eclectic patchwork of textures and mysterious samples tied together by some of the sauciest beats I’ve ever heard.
Like they’re actually so saucy, it feels like the band is seductively winking at me through their music. Miho Hatori’s lyrical innovation and irreverence is like no one else’s. In each song she uses food metaphors as a starting point for these offbeat stories which somehow feel totally genuine and relatable.
‘He stared me up and down/As if I were a restaurant menu/The accidental meeting made my heart red like a candy’- like it’s weird because it’s true?
HTRK – Psychic 9-5 Club
2014, Ghostly International
Matt: I adore every HTRK album but I think that they levelled up with this one. The production is so masterfully restrained, I can’t even deal with it.
Layers of extremely delicate synths, drum machines and I-don’t-know-what build into these imposing and vast sonic environments that I get totally lost and sad in.
I can’t work out if Jonnine Standish’s vocals are aloof or sorrowful, but they’re absolutely engaging. If she told me that she was a thousand year old spirit made from the tears of embittered lovers, I would honestly believe her.
SSION – BENT
2011, Dovecote Records
Mo: Super heavy with disco beats, I always listen to this album when I’m super dev’, which is all the time.
Normally I’m attracted to more dark and ominous artists when I’m lying on the floor but Cody Critcheloe’s angsty Prince voice usually makes me rise out of the anxious death vibe and adopt some first-rate slick sass. FEELZ GOOD (4EVR) makes me feel really rock.
The super rude pop hooks are like showers of ‘I feel okay, let’s keep moving, let’s keep moving, let’s keep moving…’ and ‘f*** I wanna slobber on someone’s face lets hit the effin club’. It’s sexy.
Zebra Katz -DRKLNG
2013, Independent
Mo: Zebra Katz’ music is creepy. Like obv’ it’s dark, like the title, more darkwave… full of raw eerie samples to minimal yet full grind-y rhythms.
I wanna dirty dance every time to this mixtape. You def’ get trapped in his mind, I always feel like I’m in a Zebra Katz trance for hours once I hear the first vocal delivery. It’s a stark beauty. ‘Pulla Stunt’ makes me feel sea-sick with those nauseating synths, or just really drunk.
Fever Ray – Fever Ray
2009, Rabid
Mo: I guess this is an obvious choice. I’m a monstrous devourer of anything Karin Dreijer Andersson. I have kept coming back to this album for years.
It brings out my self-indulgent detached side, the tracks dripping of more personal dread and isolation than The Knife’s mostly uptempo album Silent Shout (it was actually super hard to pick one out of the two).
She seems like a supernatural ghostly horror siren in this project, pitched vocals through the slow moving tracks making it seem like I’m wading through a murky swamp. Every lyric hits hard, but are delivered so effortlessly. ‘Concrete Walls’ and ‘Keep The Streets Empty For Me’ always sends chills. The whole album does actually. It’s a shudder fest.
Ugly Cry is out now via www.hbts.bandcamp.com
Ugly Cry EP Launch
Saturday 23rd April
Northcote Social Club
Tickets
