Melbourne electronic duo HABITS had our okay and the city’s attention before their EP even dropped. Their parties are famously fun and cathartic emotional exorcisms where they make you dance your sins and bad feelings away. Speaking about them to i-D earlier this year, Banoffee perfectly summed up their appeal: “HABITS are crazy good musicians but also super shy, intelligent forgiving humans. They’re fantastic role models as people defying gender, musical genres and are completely non-committal when it comes to style — apart from the fact they always look incredible.”
This month they’re joining Heaps Gay and Yummy for Melbourne Music Week’s first ever LGBT event. They’re taking over the State Library of Victoria on 16 November with 30 acts over two stages, including Donny Benet, HTML Flowers, KT Spit and a bunch of other heroes.
We’re obviously excited for the party, and anything HABITS are up to, so invited them to make a mix in the lead up to the event. They were even kind enough to throw in a breakdown of what the tracks mean to them.
Usher – Climax + MM – Five Rivers: MM’s tracks are high BPM, high adrenaline butt-shakers and he’s replacing Diplo in this mash-up so ya know, it’s win-win.
Beyonce – Sorry [DJ Taj Feat. Opera Remix]: I found this random remix on YouTube and I just got way too sucked in and have to play it at every DJ set we do now, so expect it.
Britney Spears – Toxic + Frazinus – Stone Drums: I was 11 when Toxic came out and I was afraid of it.
Damn Kids – Anxiety: A rollercoaster of nervous emotions in one jarring and grinding track that gave me a panic attack when I first had a listen.
Missy Elliot – Lose Control + Nguzunguzu – Harp Bell: Iconic Missy Elliott and Ciara will always go off at the club.
Princess Nokia – Excellent: Princess Nokia is Everything.
Parri$ – Fiyah: Dripping with attitude.
Aïsha Devi – Mazdâ + NKC – Hague Basement: I think this Mazdâ track is beautifully creepy.
Slimbillgates – I Live In a New House Now: Slimbillgates writes instant pop classics over lo-fi (self-described ‘Home Brand’) beats and the result is twisted and magical. All of their tracks are so full of musical surprises and earnest expressions. If you live in Melbourne please book them, ok?
Xeon Genesis – Empty Room: This track is so tender and yet so cold, I dunno how they achieved this precarious balance so effortlessly, but I’m so grateful that they did. This track feels like loss and it makes me cry.
Rebel Yell – Take Away: I absolutely lose myself in Rebel Yell’s live sets, they’re so mean and sexy and engaging. A beautiful industrial techno nightmare.
Lsdxoxo Ft. Cakes Da Killa – Cold Wintour: Every producer in the Qween Beat collective is actually divine. Bassy Ballroom perfection. Please go download their mixtape.
Piri Piri – Quest [Neana Remix] + Fergie – Glamorous: The awkward syntax of the phrase, ‘And I’d really like to thank all the fans I’d like to thank, thank you really now’ is one of my all time favourite pop music moments.
Sevdaliza – Clear Air [Stooki Sound Remix]: Every time Sevdaliza releases something, I clear my effing day to listen to it. I’ve rinsed all her tracks so hard I went with this remix instead which is a little bit bitchier than the original.
Gaika – 3D: Gaika is a goth dancehall future-beats dream who effortlessly veers from patois’d raps into soulful melodies and whose lyrics criticise negative stereotypes about black masculinity. Very important artist.
Credits
Image courtesy of HABITS