“Stenography” is one of the most charged tracks on DJ Haram’s debut album Beside Myself, released in July on Hyperdub. Born Zubeyda Muzeyyen in California and raised in New Jersey, Haram’s background links Syrian and Circassian. She grew up with Arabic pop and darbuka rhythms before immersing herself in Philadelphia’s DIY circles of noise, punk, and improvisation. That foundation shaped a production language that brings together Jersey-club percussion, industrial electronics, hip-hop, and Middle Eastern rhythmic traditions.

On “Stenography”, club-derived drum-machine patterns and industrial percussion are set against synth tones drawn from noise and drone practices. Verses from Armand Hammer’s ELUCID and billy woods bring a hip-hop cadence that collides with these electronic forms, turning the track into a confrontation between rap, club, and experimental styles.

The official video, directed by Alli Logout and edited by Ngu Asongwed, pushes the track’s focus on erasure and perception further. Asongwed frames “Stenography” as questioning whether reality is physical or subjective, echoing billy woods’ lyric “Delete, Delete, Delete!”. The visual presents stenography as both documentation and distortion, treating inscription as a contested site of authority and collapse.

Beside Myself follows Haram’s earlier Hyperdub releases Grace (2019) and Handplay (2023). The album features collaborations with Moor Mother, Bbymutha, El Kontessa, and Kay Drizz, yet “Stenography” stands as one of its most concentrated statements, binding Haram’s fractured production language to Armand Hammer’s lyrical density.

This autumn Haram undertakes a European and UK tour, including several dates opening for billy woods. Stream, listen to and purchase your copy of the album HERE