Hi Viz (album)

Hi Viz (typeset as HI VIZ) is the fourth studio album by Australian electronic duo The Presets. The album was released in Australia by Modular Recordings on 1 June 2018.

Hi Viz
Studio album by The Presets
Released	1 June 2018 (2018-06-01)
Genre	Electronic
Length	52:24
Label	EMI
Producer	The Presets
The Presets chronology
Pacifica (2012) Hi Viz (2018)
Singles from Hi Viz
"Do What You Want" Released: 3 November 2017[1] "14U+14Me" Released: 9 Feb 2018 [2] "Downtown Shutdown" Released: 11 May 2018 [3] "Martini" Released: 10 August 2018 [4] "Are You Here?" Released: 18 November 2018 [5]

Upon release, the band said "We're always trying to do something different, at least within what we feel is The Presets. We were really just trying to get back to fun. The whole message of the record is inclusiveness, and it's a party, with an open invitation."[6]

In April 2018, The Presets announced a national tour commencing in June 2018.[7]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Cover Art.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The AU Review	[9]
The Music	[10]

Sosefina Fuamoli from The AU Review gave the album 4 out of 5, writing: "If you've been a long time fan of The Presets, Hi Viz won't be treading unfamiliar territory, though it's exciting to comprehend what this album will mean for new fans, or those music listeners who may have just been casual listeners before." Fuamoli also called the album "a defining point for The Presets; they've made their return in a climate flushed with young producers climbing their way to the top but make no mistake, they've dropped a great "How To Do It Right" record with this".[9] MJ O'Neill from The Music Au gave the album 4.5 out of 5 saying, "The tripping half-step beats, jazz scales and random bursts of 8-bit noise on opener "Knuckles" are probably the weirdest thing The Presets have ever done." adding "Hi Viz drops all pretences and simply detonates the dancefloor. It's bloody brilliant. Creative? Expressive? Surprisingly contemporary, even? Yep. All those things. But, above all, it's just awesome."[10]

Andrew Drever from The Sydney Morning Herald opined that "The Presets have never made an album like Hi Viz – full throttle from go to whoa. It's their best, and strangest album. Many of the tracks seem constructed like club music, with Hamilton's voice (often processed, like a phone call down a bad line) left to find its place or dutifully serve the sleek, electronic set pieces as another instrument."[6] Triple J called the album "a colourful blend of "rave nuggets, cyber croons and pub techno" for what they're referring to as their 'party album'."[11] Cyclone Wehner from Music Feeds said: "Hi Viz is contemporary party music that pays homage to the past, and anticipates a brighter future, while shedding the pretension."[12] aaa Backstage said: "Hi Viz is The Presets' incongruous, opus piece. Throughout the album, the duo's club textures stretch and spasm to strange dynamics. Artificial and dispersed in ungainly bursts, it is garish and gorgeous all at once."[13] Stack magazine stated: "Hi Viz is the soundtrack to a crazy night out, where you wake up the following day, discombobulated, wondering, "What have I done? Where have I been?" All you know for sure is you had fun."[14]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Knuckles"	Julian Hamilton Kim Moyes	3:29
2.	"Do What You Want"	Hamilton Moyes	3:01
3.	"Martini"	Hamilton Moyes	4:00
4.	"Beethoven"	Hamilton Moyes	4:12
5.	"Downtown Shutdown"	Hamilton Moyes	5:16
6.	"Out of Your Mind" (featuring Alison Wonderland)	Warren "Oak" Felder Hamilton Moyes Taylor Parks	3:04
7.	"Tools Down"	Hamilton Moyes Fritz Helder Jason Sellards	4:33
8.	"Feel Alone"	Hamilton Moyes	5:41
9.	"Brains"	Hamilton Moyes	1:57
10.	"Are You Here?" (featuring DMA's)	Hamilton Moyes Matt Mason Tommy O'Dell Johnny Took	5:23
11.	"14U+14Me"	Hamilton Moyes	4:54
12.	"Until the Dark"	Mike Callander Hamilton Moyes	6:58
Total length:			52:24

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[15]	5
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[16]	8

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalogue
Australia	1 June 2018	Modular, EMI Music	CD,[17] vinyl,[18] digital download[19]	6735010

References

1. "Do What You Want – Single by The Presets". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 7 June 2018.
2. "14U+14Me – Single". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 7 June 2018.
3. "The Presets Release Euphoric New Song & Video 'Downtown Shutdown'". Music Feeds. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
4. "THE PRESETS SERVE UP THEIR 'MARTINI'". auspOp. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
5. "Are You Here? (feat. DMA'S) [Single Edit] - Single by The Presets". iTunes Store. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
6. "Working it: The Presets deliver a stand-out album with Hi-Viz". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
7. "The Presets have announced their comeback 'HI VIZ' 2018 tour". Tone Deaf. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
8. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) (11 October 2018). "2018 ARIA Award Nominees Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 14 October 2018.
9. "Album Review: The Presets – Hi Viz (2018 LP)". The AU Review. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
10. "The Presets – Hi Viz". Music AU. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
11. "Feature Album Hi Viz". Triple J. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
12. "ALBUM REVIEWS The Presets 'HI VIZ'". Music Feeds. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
13. "Album Review: The Presets 'Hi Viz'". aaa Backstage. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
14. "The Presets, 'HI VIZ' review". Stack Magazine. June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
15. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
16. "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
17. "PRESETS, THE HI VIZ". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
18. "Hi Viz Coloured Vinyl". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
19. "Hi Viz (album)". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 7 June 2018.