A raw collection of transformative club music that fuses Middle Eastern instruments with the intensity of Jersey club and noise-infused electronica.
Don’t be deceived by the cover art. While DJ Haram appears to be smiling on her debut solo album’s vibrant artwork (which could easily belong to a much-touted alt-pop artist), it’s a deceptive charm, akin to approaching a hidden predator nestled in the foliage. The prolific Philadelphia-based producer and DJ has crafted an intimidating debut with ‘Beside Myself’; a visceral, ominous selection of shifting club tracks that merge Middle Eastern sounds, the fierceness of Jersey club, and noise-laden electronica to deliver a confrontational yet exhilarating experience.
The most notable paradox of ‘Beside Myself’ – released by Hyperdub – is that despite its foreboding, intense atmosphere, it’s filled with electrifying club anthems. ‘IDGAF’ blends fast-paced footwork rhythms with darbuka drums and heavy guitars, ‘Do U Luv Me’ plunges a powerful Jersey club beat into a vast void, while ‘Sahel’ deconstructs breakbeat and injects it with subtle hints of synthetic eeriness that escalate throughout the track. In the accompanying notes, DJ Haram describes music as “a liberation technology, a vessel of truth and resistance.” The 14 dynamically unrestrained tracks of ‘Beside Myself’ truly embody this belief.
DJ Haram also emphasizes the significance of collective power, referring to it as “a small, vulnerable shelter amidst a worsening storm.” The impressive roster of MCs she has enlisted for ‘Beside Myself’ seems capable of withstanding even the fiercest tempest. Her 700 Bliss collaborator Moor Mother contributes her raw, textured verses to ‘Lifelike’, which also features DJ Haram’s delicate vocals, creating an intriguing contrast. Armand Hammer appears on ‘Stenography’, seamlessly delivering their signature dense rhymes over complex juke beats. The most assertive feature comes from SHA RAY in the latter part of ‘Fishnets’, where her intense voice is prominently placed in the mix. Based on this and her recent collaboration on a R.A.P. Ferreira track, the intriguing SHA RAY appears poised to become a rising MC.
Like an intense, loud warehouse rave you've accidentally wandered into, ‘Beside Myself’ is an exhilarating yet chaotic journey. It’s a vibrant eruption of ideas, to the extent that one might argue that, as a complete album, it lacks some cohesion or polish. Nevertheless, the captivating production by its talented creator and a remarkably impressive list of guest features make ‘Beside Myself’ a unique plunge into a dark, dystopian club-tronica realm.
8/10
Words: Tom Morgan
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Don't be deceived by the cover art. DJ Haram may have a smile on her debut solo album's vibrant design (which could easily pass for the new EP of a much-anticipated release.