Haha Sound Explained

Haha Sound is the second studio album by English indie electronic band Broadcast. It was released on 11 August 2003 by Warp Records.

Haha Sound earned critical acclaim and became Broadcast's first charting album in the United States, where it reached the top 10 of the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

Recording

Recording sessions for the album took place in fragments at various locations: Keenan recorded vocal tracks with her head in a cardboard box which gave it a "closeness and deadness that makes it sit in the mix a bit nicer," while drummer Bullock recorded drum tracks in a neighborhood church before overdubbing guitar tracks and additional arrangements.^[1]

Critical reception

Haha Sound received highly favourable reviews from music critics. Paul Clarke called the album "a dizzying ride" in his review for Jockey Slut.^[2] Pitchfork placed Haha Sound at number 121 on its list of the best albums of the 2000s.^[3] In 2007, the record was listed by The Guardian as one of "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die".^[4]

Track listing

Songwriting credits are adapted from ASCAP.^[5]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[6]

• Broadcast – recording
• Neil Bullock – drums (tracks 1–12, 14)
• House – sleeve design
• P. Jenkins – drums (track 13)
• Nick Webb – mastering

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Edition	Label	Catalogue
United Kingdom	11 August 2003	CD	Standard	Warp	WARPCD106	[8]
			Special		WARPCD106X
		LP	Standard		WARPLP106
United States	12 August 2003	CD			WARPCD106	[9]
Japan	2003			Beat	BRC76
United Kingdom	9 March 2015	LP		Warp	WARPLP106R	[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: BROADCAST. Electronic Musician. Micallef, Ken. 1 August 2003. 22 December 2017.
2. Broadcast: Haha Sound. Jockey Slut. 6. 7. August 2003. Clarke. Paul. 79.
3. Web site: The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s. Pitchfork. 2 October 2009. 5 September 2021. 4.
4. News: 1000 albums to hear before you die – Artists beginning with B (part 2). The Guardian. 17 November 2007. 5 September 2021.
5. Web site: ACE Repertory. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. 17 October 2021.
6. Haha Sound. Broadcast. Warp. 2003. WARPCD106. liner notes.
7. Top 10 Dance Albums. Music Week. 23 August 2003. 8 September 2021. 27.
8. Web site: HA HA Sound. broadcast.uk.net. 5 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20070715194130/http://www.broadcast.uk.net/albums/ha.html. 15 July 2007. dead.
9. Upcoming at Retail. CMJ New Music Report. 76. 11. 11 August 2003. 5 September 2021. 49.
10. Web site: Vinyl Albums Repress. Warp. 27 January 2015. 5 September 2021. 5 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210905095413/https://warp.net/updates/vinyl-albums-repress. dead.