Beside Myself (DJ Haram album)

Beside Myself
Studio album by
DJ Haram
ReleasedJuly 18, 2025 (2025-07-18)
Length42:55
LabelHyperdub
DJ Haram chronology
Handplay
(2023) 		Beside Myself
(2025)
Singles from Beside Myself
  1. "Voyeur"
    Released: May 7, 2025[1]

Beside Myself is the debut studio album by American DJ and record producer Zubeyda Muzeyyen under the pseudonym DJ Haram.[2] It was released on July 18, 2025, through Hyperdub. It received universal acclaim from critics.[3]

Background

DJ Haram grew up in New Jersey,[2] and is based in New York.[4] She is a member of the duo 700 Bliss, along with Moor Mother.[5] Beside Myself is her third solo release for Hyperdub, following the Grace EP (2019) and the Handplay EP (2023).[6] The album includes contributions from Dakn, Aquiles Navarro, BbyMutha, Sha Ray, August Fanon, Moor Mother, Kayy Drizz, Armand Hammer, Abdul Hakim Bilal, Carmen Nebula, and El Kontessa.[7] The voice of Nawal El Saadawi is used on the album's song "Badass".[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[9]
Pitchfork7.8/10[10]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Beside Myself received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[3]

Tom Morgan of Clash described the album as "a visceral, sinister collection of shapeshifting club music that combines Middle Eastern instrumentation, Jersey club aggression and noise-flecked electronica to create a confrontational but relentlessly thrilling intoxicant."[9] He added, "in spite of its threatening, intimidating moodscapes, it's stacked with exhilarating club bangers."[9] Ben Cardew of Pitchfork commented that "Beside Myself is as twisted as life itself, an audacious mixture of Jersey club, rap, punk, heavy guitars, live percussion, and classical elegance, where anger, joy, and frustration come mushed up in tangles like classroom Play-Doh."[10] He added, "Beside Myself is dramatic and daring, the agreeably messy sound of the kind of radical freedom that might not change our sinking world but can liberate the willing mind."[10] Aydin Khalili of The Quietus stated, "With this cutting-edge cohort of collaborators, DJ Haram has delivered a debut worthy of an artist intent on tearing through the clichés that cling to both sound and identity – confronting the systems that colonise, both outwardly and within."[8]

Track listing

Beside Myself track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Walking Memory"3:16
2."Remaining" (featuring Dakn and Aquiles Navarro)4:14
3."Fishnets" (featuring BbyMutha, Sha Ray, and August Fanon)3:00
4."Lifelike" (featuring Moor Mother)3:09
5."Voyeur"3:15
6."Do U Love Me" (featuring Kayy Drizz)2:05
7."Stenography" (featuring Armand Hammer)2:40
8."IDGAF"3:52
9."Badass" (featuring Carmen Nebula)1:42
10."Loneliness Epidemic"2:54
11."Sahel" (featuring El Kontessa)4:57
12."Distress Tolerance"3:13
13."Who Needs Enemies When These Are Your Allies?"2:01
14."Deep Breath (An Ending)"2:37
Total length:42:55

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[11]

  • DJ Haram
  • Sultana Garritano – skit (1), photography
  • Dakn – guest appearance (2)
  • Aquiles Navarro – guest appearance (2)
  • BbyMutha – guest appearance (3)
  • Sha Ray – guest appearance (3), violin (8)
  • August Fanon – guest appearance (3)
  • Saydah Ruz – violin (3)
  • The Legendary Lady J – sample (3)
  • Moor Mother – guest appearance (4)
  • Kayy Drizz – guest appearance (6)
  • Armand Hammer – guest appearance (7)
  • Dania – vocals (7)
  • Abdul Hakim Bilal – guitar (8)
  • Carmen Nebula – guest appearance (9)
  • El Kontessa – guest appearance (11)
  • Archangel – quote (13)
  • Kevin Keenan – mixing (1–8, 10–14)
  • Ase Manual – mixing (9)
  • Manuel Sepulveda – design
  • Wendy Timana – photo retouching
  • Shams Hanieh – liner notes

Charts

Chart performance for Beside Myself
Chart (2025) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[12] 70

References

  1. ^ Schube, Will (May 7, 2025). "DJ Haram Announces Debut Album Beside Myself, Shares "Voyeur"". Flood. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Dorris, Jesse (June 3, 2025). "Fuck Those Allies: An Interview with DJ Haram". The Quietus. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Beside Myself by DJ Haram". Metacritic. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  4. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 7, 2025). "DJ Haram Announces Debut Album Beside Myself Feat. Armand Hammer, Moor Mother, & Bbymutha". Stereogum. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  5. ^ Murray, Robin (May 7, 2025). "DJ Haram Announces Debut Album 'Beside Myself'". Clash. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  6. ^ Eede, Christian (May 8, 2025). "DJ Haram announces debut album, 'Beside Myself', featuring Moor Mother, Armand Hammer, more". DJ Mag. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  7. ^ Green, Walden (May 7, 2025). "DJ Haram Announces Debut Album, Shares New Song "Voyeur": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Khalili, Aydin (July 17, 2025). "Simulation Dismantled: Beside Myself by DJ Haram". The Quietus. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Morgan, Tom (July 18, 2025). "DJ Haram – Beside Myself". Clash. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Cardew, Ben (July 15, 2025). "DJ Haram: Beside Myself". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  11. ^ DJ Haram (2025). Beside Myself (CD booklet). Hyperdub.
  12. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2025.

Further reading

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