by Alias

Life has been busy for David Haberfeld of late. The Australian DJ and producer has been enjoying considerable success -- radio exposure for his most recent releases including the cheeky tech pounder "Walk On Acid" and the dancefloor burning "La Discotheque Fantastique", and, his live appearances can only be described as prolific.

Haberfeld has established himself as Melbourne's undisputed king of acid, and has even made the rock and roll faithful sit up and take notice of his flamboyant acid stylings. Add to this the fact that Honeysmack manages the day-to-day happenings of his own label, Smelly records, and has a brand new album coming out any minute titled "Flick Bubble" (not "Fuck Bubble" as previously reported). You have to believe him when he says he has absolutely no time to spare. 'Not a second' he states, in such a way that even this conversation might get interrupted.

One can argue that this success is thoroughly deserved. David has contributed to the local scene in so many different ways. For instance, Smelly Records -- the label David established in 1993 in order to provide an outlet for locally produced dance music for producers and consumers alike -- has helped expose many local artists to eager audiences. There have also been David's own sound excursions under the various guises of Cynosure, Pura, PIN (alongside Voiteck) and Graham Mono (alongside Soulenoid and Guyver 3). He also has contributed to various print media (including "Zebra" magazine in Melbourne), television outlets ("The Adventures Of Honeysmack" on Channel 31), radio (Kiss FM), and even music production education. Yet, it is for his rocking live acid excursions that he is best known.

There is not one Melbourne techno artist that comes even remotely close to providing the same experience as Honeysmack when he takes to a stage and causes chaos using his arsenal of black boxes and his inimitable brand of arrogance and showmanship. The Gene Simmons of local electronica? You bet! David is injecting some much needed rock and roll into the Melbourne techno scene. 'You'd be right to say there is a rock element there. It's because the audience wants to see the act actually doing something. If you see someone up on stage twiddling a couple of knobs you may as well give the finished product to a DJ. Yet live it's a show, so I put on a show. I'm not just there playing the music.' It is obvious from talking to David that it is the live element of performance which he is most fond of, and realises that the showmanship of his live shows has endeared him towards an audience that are more familiar with such a 'rock' ethic.

'If I was just up there being like a lab inspector or something like that I'm sure people might like the music, but in terms of being able to take the crowd and perform it wouldn't work,' he comments. 'That is the whole thing with Honeysmack, you're not just listening to music, you are actually watching a performance which obviously works. There is no way that I would get on stage and just play music, be it at a festival, or a club, or an event of any sort, people are paying money to see someone perform. The performance element needs to be there.'

On stage, Honeysmack is the complete opposite to the hooded and faceless knob twiddler. He's brash, outspoken, and provocative. Yet most importantly, he is totally into the music he is creating. He loves his work, and understands that to stay successful he has to give the crowd what they need. The people who come to see Honeysmack can undoubtedly feel this energy, and whether he is appearing at a smaller club style venue like Revolver, or at a massive event such as Halcyon Knights, Honeysmack burns up the room. In letting himself go on stage, he welcomes the crowd to lose themselves in the music too. The crowd react accordingly and David constantly finds stunned punters commenting on the quality of his shows after an appearance. 'It happens every time I play. If I got five dollars for everyone who said that after a gig I'd be a fucking millionaire!'

With Honeysmack's hectic live schedule, it begs the question of just how David keeps creating new sounds to play live. 'I guess I'm clever,' he asserts sarcastically. 'It's my life, so if I don't come up with something new then I guess I will sink. It is a part of my job description. If I ever get sick of anything I'm playing then I just don't play it. Simple as that! And that is the reason that every live show is different. Sometimes you'll hear something one week and then you'll see me three weeks later and think, "hang on, I don't think I've heard this before".'

It's unusual that David has made his mark on the live circuit. 'Playing live is something I didn't want to do for a couple of years because I couldn't understand this mentality of seeing a live electronic artist,' he explains. 'Because it was the DJ who has the finished product in his hand, and the job of the DJ was to provide the final journey, so to say, of the music. Even people who think they are part of this scene, have sort of a rock mentality when going to see an artist, even though there are people who have never been into rock music that have always been into dance music come across as a rock ethic in that we have to see someone up there doing it. I account for that, and I have this type of rock attitude because the Australian audience to me still thinks they are watching a rock band.'

Honeysmack's recent live appearances at such festivals as The Falls, the Meredith music festival, and the Big Day Out have shown that his bubble and squeak techno has a lot to offer those more familiar with guitar-based music. 'To play to other people who don't actually come into contact with my kind of music is really good, and to see people really getting into it is fantastic,' he enthuses. 'They're the kind of people who need to be reprogrammed and seeing them enjoying it is great. I mean the rest of the fucking world has embraced electronic music, and now it's Australia's turn.'

Soon to be surfacing is "Flick Bubble", Honeysmack's debut album proper, which is highly anticipated to say the least. Featuring fifteen studio cuts, and three fully live tracks, hopefully this will be the local electronic release that manages to make it into the homes of consumers on a deserved level. Apart from a few exceptions such as Frontside, Josh Abrahams, Quench, and Our House, locally produced electronic sounds have been largely shunned by the record buying public in favour of overseas artists -- often forcing local producers to look overseas for record sales. Judging by the reactions at Honeysmack's live appearances, the healthy reaction to the proceeding singles "Walk On Acid" and "La Discotheque Fantastique", and the critical buzz leading up to the release, "Flick Bubble" should do incredibly well. Just remember one thing, as David points out. 'I'm not a musician and I don't make music!'

Honeysmack's "Flick Bubble" is out now on Smelly Records through MDS.