HAAi on her debut album, Baby We're Ascending

Teneil Throssell, aka HAAi, is now very much a household name in dance music. The Australian-born artist has made her mark by DJing in primetime slots at some of the biggest clubs and festivals across the world, and with a string of releases on her own label, Coconut Beats, and Mute Records.

Having just released her debut album, Baby, We’re Ascending, and with an upcoming set at Glasgow’s Riverside Festival this month, we catch up with Throssell to discuss the making of the album, collaboration, and introducing green riders.

Tell us about the making of Baby, We’re Ascending.
It came into its own rather than me going in with a vision, which is a common theme in my creative process. I’d been chipping away at what I knew were album tracks then, lo and behold, the world sort of fell apart due to the pandemic and I had a lot more time on my hands. I was learning a lot about myself during that time so, in some ways, it became quite a self-reflective body of work.

Renowned producer Jon Hopkins features on the title track. What sparked this collaboration?
Jon and I have been friends for years so this track came about really organically. Mute [Records] were excited about me singing on something and Daniel Miller really gave me the confidence to explore my own vocals. Three quarters of the way through Baby, We’re Ascending, I hit a brick wall. I shared a snippet on my Instagram story and Jon instantly messaged me. I explained that I was in a bit of a funk, and he asked if I’d be up for collaborating on it with him. It was as simple as that. We’re so proud of what we’ve created. Our bond feels stronger and it’s certainly not the last time we’ll work together.

How did you come to collaborate with spoken word artist Kai-Isaiah Jamal on Human Sound? What message do you take from his monologue?
They used to live downstairs from me so we’d often bump into each other and chat about music. I knew that I wanted to have them on the album but I didn’t have the confidence to approach that kind of thing. One day Kai asked how I’d feel about us working on some music together. Coincidentally I already had a track, and Human Sound was born.

There’s an obvious message about the emotions you feel when you’re in a club and how important that is to some people’s wellbeing. Closing your eyes and being on the dancefloor; escapism in some ways. I could be projecting what our previous conversations were, but I also felt like there was an undercurrent nodding to the white-washing in techno.

Have you had the chance to play some of the tracks live and what have the crowd reactions been like?
I haven’t played many of them. I’ve been with Jon a few times when he’s played Baby, We’re Ascending. I’ve had this conversation before with friends, but what do you do when your own vocal comes on in your track that you’re DJing – mime along?

From the nice messages I’ve been getting since Baby, We’re Ascending was released, I feel like I will play it more confidently in a club… and won't feel like such a twat.

Are you excited to return to Scotland for Riverside Festival’s Saturday lineup curated by Shoot Your Shot?
It’s my second time playing Riverside and I’m really excited for this one because it’s more of a queer party with a bunch of friends. I love partying with the Scots! From the moment that people go out until the moment that they go home they give it their all. It’s unparalleled!

Can you tell us about how you've introduced green riders?
It’s something that’s really important to me. I started with basics like having no plastic in the booth and using trains where possible. I’m working on a project with Potato Head Beach Club in Bali on finding ways to repurpose our industry waste into DJ products. We’re making DJ bags out of billboard posters and looking into repurposing festival plastic waste to make headphones.

Years from now, what legacy do you hope to have left on the music industry?
I believe that as soon as you have a platform to be able to make any kind of positive change, you’re duty-bound to use it. People such as The Blessed Madonna and Richie Hawtin took a real chance on me when I was just starting out so it’s important for me to do the same for others. I just hope that it has a knock-on effect in paying it forward and making our whole industry as inclusive as possible.

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Baby, We’re Ascending is out now via Mute Records
HAAi plays Riverside Festival, Glasgow, 4 Jun