Qualm is the second studio album by German electronic music DJ and record producer Helena Hauff. It was released on 3 August 2018 by Ninja Tune.[1] The album was critically acclaimed and the track "Hyper-Intelligent Genetically Enriched Cyborg" was named as one of the best electronic tracks of 2018 by Pitchfork.[2] In comparison to her previous album, Discreet Desires (2015), the tracks on it had more traditional song structure and they were "more poppier."[3]
| Qualm | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 August 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:36 | |||
| Label | Ninja Tune | |||
| Producer | Helena Hauff | |||
| Helena Hauff chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
While creating the album, Hauff used one synthesizer, which was Roland TR-808, and one drum machine.[4][3]
Title
The title has multiple definitions. The German meaning of "qualm" is "smoke" or "fumes", as in English language, it is "an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear."[5]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10[6] |
| Metacritic | 82/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[9] |
| Clash | 8/10[10] |
| Financial Times | [11] |
| The Guardian | [12] |
| The Independent | [13] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[14] |
| Q | [15] |
| Resident Advisor | 3.0/5[16] |
| Uncut | 7/10[17] |
Qualm received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[7] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork stated that Qualm is a "spartan mix of techno, acid, EBM, and coldwave".[14] Nathan Wesley of The Line of Best Fit opined that the album is a "nocturnal, adventurous album that sees Hauff take a progressive leap forward from her 2015 debut Discreet Desires."[18] Andrew Moore of Clash remarked that Qualm is a "statement of romantic infatuation amongst an otherwise hash, twisted and raw landscape. A glance into the past and a look to the future."[10]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Helena Hauff
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Barrow Boot Boys" | 6:04 |
| 2. | "Lifestyle Guru" | 5:43 |
| 3. | "Btdr-Revisited" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Entropy Created You and Me" | 2:42 |
| 5. | "Fag Butts in the Fire Bucket" | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Hyper-Intelligent Genetically Enriched Cyborg" | 6:03 |
| 7. | "The Smell of Suds and Steel" | 8:11 |
| 8. | "Primordial Sludge" | 5:33 |
| 9. | "Qualm" | 2:33 |
| 10. | "No Qualms" | 3:22 |
| 11. | "Panegyric" | 5:19 |
| 12. | "It Was All Fields Around Here When I Was a Kid" | 3:34 |
Notes
- "Btdr-Revisited" is stylised in lowercase letters.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Qualm.[19]
- Helena Hauff – writing, production, arrangement
- BüroBrüggmann – design
- Florian Hammerl – photography