Broadcast - Haha Sound

A high-fidelity masterpiece of psychedelic depth and "celestial" pop.

Returning to vinyl through Warp Records, Haha Sound is widely considered the definitive statement of the Broadcast musical cosmos. Originally released in 2003, the album finds the band—led by the late, incomparable Trish Keenan and James Cargill—reaching a "promethean" peak in their songwriting. It is a "hand-crafted" collision of 1960s library music aesthetics, cinematic krautrock rhythms, and "offworld" electronic textures. The record moves with a high-contrast energy, balancing moments of soaring, melodic clarity with the "strange and mesmerizing" atmosphere of a dark, mechanical fairytale.

From the driving, hypnotic pulse of "Pendulum" to the fragile, "celestial" beauty of "Before We Begin," Haha Sound explores the boundaries of the sonic universe with unparalleled sophistication. The album’s production is a "pure" display of creative thrust, utilizing vintage synthesis and sophisticated poetics to create a landscape that feels both hauntingly nostalgic and entirely futuristic. For those seeking the "heart" of the 21st-century avant-garde, this LP is a mandatory acquisition—a timeless summary of a band at the height of their ingenious powers.