DJ Haram spins at Break Free Fest | photo by John Vettese
DJ Haram fuses bounce and Middle Eastern dance music in new EP Mixed Berries
Philadelphia-based producer DJ Haram just released her debut EP, Mixed Berries, which mixes the energy of booty bounce with brooding electronic textures and darbuka percussion heard in Middle Eastern dance music. Or, as DJ Haram put it on Twitter, “#darbukabloodrave.”
The album features three songs, “Rotten”, “Ripe”, and “No Wave.” The songs interact with each other to create a cohesive whole — rather than three separate songs, its three songs that work together as one. Haram’s sound is part percussion, part spoken samples, part electronic club beats. It feels like she is challenging the boundaries of club music and pushing for an international sound.
DJ Haram works alongside Moor Mother in their noise/rap group called 700 BLISS. Moor Mother is beloved in the Philadelphia DIY scene for her poetry, innovative beats, and dedication to her work. In the same spirit, DJ Haram is another local artist to watch and dance along with. Check out Mixed Berries below.