David Haberfeld

David Haberfeld (born 1969, in Melbourne) is an Australian electronic dance music producer,[1] performer, DJ and educator. Best known for his productions and live performances as Honeysmack,[1][2] he is a proponent of acid house and techno music styles.[2]

"Honeysmack" redirects here. For the breakfast cereal, see Honey Smacks.

David Haberfeld
Performing as Honeysmack in 2011
Performing as Honeysmack in 2011
Background information
Born1969 (age 53–54)
Melbourne, Australia
GenresAcid House, techno, minimal techno, electro, mashup
Occupation(s)Music producer, composer, performer, improviser, dj, academic
Instrument(s)synthesizer, drum machines, modular synthesizer
Years active1992–present
LabelsHand Made Acid, Smelly Records, Kickin Records, Zomba, Jive Electro, Shock, Idiot House, Sony BMG
Websitedavidhaberfeld.com
honeysmack.info

Career

During his studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in media arts, Haberfeld began experimenting with electronic dance music. Soon he was collaborating with electronic composer Phillip Samartzis under the name Hysterical Systems. Their 5-track EP was released in 1993/94 by UK dance label Kickin' Records.[1]

In 1994, Haberfeld started his first independent record label, Smelly Records.[2][3] Initial releases included his Pura project,[1] a hard-acid outfit called Cynosure (with Phillip Samartzis),[1] PIN (with Voiteck Andersen), Graham Mono (with Adam Raisbeck and Scott Anderson). The first full-length release was the Smelly Records Compilation CD in 1996.[4] As Honeysmack, he released his first full length artist album, Honeysmack Live (1997), a collection of live recordings taken from performances at underground clubs in Australia such as Club Filter Melbourne.

Along with his performances as a live electronic dance music artist during the mid 1990s, Haberfeld gained respect with rock audiences with his punk approach and attitude as Honeysmack.[2] Intersecting the genres of rock and dance, he soon become a fixture at popular Australian rock events and festivals, including Big Day Out, Falls Festival, Meredith Music Festival and to a large extent at dance music festivals and events.[5][6]

In 1999, Honeysmack's song "Walk On Acid"—which sampled the melody from Burt Bacharach's "Walk On By"—became a popular hit.[1][7] The song was a nominee for the Best Dance Artist Release at the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Music Awards of 1999.[8] The video (directed by Philip Brophy) accompanying the single was the source of some controversy after being withdrawn due to legal action brought on by the Coca Cola Company, which objected to one of their vending machines appearing behind a scantily dressed dancer.[9][10] "Walk on Acid" featured on Honeysmack's studio album Flick Bubble[2][11] in 1999. "Walk On Acid" was listed in The 100 Greatest Australian Dance Tracks Of All Time[12] in 2015.

In 2002, it was announced that he would perform as a supporting act on Britney Spears' Australian tour to promote her album Britney and the film Crossroads.[13]

Haberfeld combines the musical influences of punk, disco, early hip-hop, electro, kraut rock and synthpop.[14] He studied under Philip Brophy at RMIT; they have since collaborated on various projects, including the Brophy-produced Honeysmack album Rock in 2002. As an example of contemporary Australian electronic music, Haberfeld's work was exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in September of the same year.[15] He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists encompassing different styles, including performing in a quartet[16] with Jacq Gawler (Coco's Lunch), Anthony Schulz (Zulya and the Children of the Underground) and Adam Starr (Frock). Haberfeld produced Frock's last album, "One Room One Day" in 2016.[17]

He and Antonio Celestino formed the DJ duo Acid Jacks in 2004. Acid Jacks were ranked in the top 50 DJs in Australia by popular vote in 2007[18] and 2008.[19] The pair presented a different twist on the electro and fidget house genres.[20] As part of Acid Jacks, Haberfeld and Celestino founded the record label Idiot House. In 2009, Haberfeld parted ways with Acid Jacks and Idiot House to return to his productions as Honeysmack.

Haberfeld formed a new techno and acid house label, Hand Made Acid, in 2010.

David Haberfeld holds a Master of Arts[21] in Media Arts from RMIT, a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Technology from La Trobe University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts from RMIT. He completed a PhD in music composition at Monash University in 2021 titled "Bacharach, Britney and Acid Techno Bangers: The Evolving Compositional Practice of Honeysmack". He was a lecturer in the Bachelor of Music (Interactive Composition) at The University of Melbourne Faculty of VCA and MCM.[22] between 2016-2019.

Discography

Albums
  • Hysterical Systems – Kickin Records, 1994[1]
  • PIN – Smelly Records, 1995[4]
  • Honeysmack Live – Smelly Records, 1997
  • Flick Bubble (also known as Fuck Bubble) – Smelly Records/DanceNet MDS, 1999[2][11]
  • Awake Since 78 – xylophone jones Records, 2006[20]
  • Mookie – Trouble & Bass Recordings, 2007[20]
  • Brainss! – Idiot House Records, 2008[20]
  • Pump It Up – Idiot House Records, 2008[20]
  • Post Acid – Awesome Soundwave 2020

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Honeysmack was nominated for one award.[23]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1999 "Walk on Acid" ARIA Award for Best Dance Release Nominated

References
  1. "Profile: Honeysmack". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  2. Cyclone Wehner (27 May 1999). "Smack Attacks". Sun-Herald.
  3. "Profile: Smelly Records". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  4. David Mothersole (16 September 1996). "Smelly Records compilation review". Muzik magazine (UK), p. 121
  5. "Honeysmack: Some Sort Of Flickwit". Inpress/Zebra issue no. 560. 26 May 1999.
  6. "Honeysmack returns". Resident Advisor. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  7. Simon Reeves (3 April 2002). "Honeysmack comes to the party". inthemix. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  8. "Winners by Award". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  9. Peter Wilmoth with Sally Finlay (5 July 1999). "Never Mind the Nudity". The Age. Lawyers for Coca-Cola and confectionery company Mars have written to record label MDS to ask for the withdrawal of Honeysmack's latest video clip, Walking on Acid.
  10. "Philip Brophy: Solo Exhibitions". Anna Schwartz Gallery. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2013. Videoclip for Walk on Acid, by Honeysmack (director and producer) (video short on Smelly Records) TV broadcast nationally, withdrawn and all copies destroyed at order of lawyers representing CocoCola Bottlers
  11. Andrew Trimboli (18 June 1999). "CD Review: Flick Bubble". Sydney Morning Herald.
  12. "The 100 Greatest Australian Dance Tracks Of All Time". inthemix. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  13. Libby Clark (27 May 2002). "Honeysmack to support Britney at her Fox Studios gig". inthemix. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  14. "Honeysmack". Melbourne Music Week Festival. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  15. "Variable Resistance: Ten Hours of Sound from Australia (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art program)" (PDF). 7–17 September 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  16. "Other collaborations/productions". SoundCloud. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  17. "One Room One Day, by Frock". Frock. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  18. "The inthemix DJ Poll 2007". inthemix. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  19. "Sony inthemix50 Results 2008". inthemix. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  20. "Biography of Acid Jacks". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  21. "Haberfeld, David". Australia & New Zealand Music Research (musicresearchanz.com). Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  22. "Find an Expert". The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  23. ARIA Award previous winners. "Winners By Award - 27th ARIA Awards 2013". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 1 March 2014.
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