Handplay EP marks DJ Haram’s first solo release for Hyperdub since her 2019 label debut, Grace EP. Handplay offers a lyrical glimpse of Haram as a lover, daughter, and comrade. Across the EP’s two tracks, she speaks from the contradictions of feminine archetypes, letting loose over some of her most expressive solo material to date.
“Handplay,” an ode to and celebration of sex workers, finds DJ Haram pondering pleasure and reward over flute and industrial 909 rhythms. The EP is completed by “No Funeral,” a critically engaged track that examines the disruption of toxic relationship cycles. “No Funeral” channels feminine resilience through volatile guitars, distorted vocals, and a sludgy beat.
Stylistically versatile, Haram is known for bringing her idiosyncratic fusion of Middle Eastern instrumentation and club music to new realms. She comprises half of 700 Bliss alongside Moor Mother, where she crafts noisy, dark-sided music that flits between gritty hip-hop and tripped-out punk. Her solo work deepens her range further, reflecting the cultural milieu of the East Coast DIY scene where hardcore, experimental rap, and Jersey Club could all be found at one night.
