Beside Myself is the debut studio album by American DJ and record producer Zubeyda Muzeyyen under the pseudonym DJ Haram. It was released on July 18, 2025, through Hyperdub. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Background DJ Haram grew up in New Jersey, and is based in New York. She is a member of the duo 700 Bliss, along with Moor Mother. Beside Myself is her third solo release for Hyperdub, following the Grace EP (2019) and the Handplay EP (2023). 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. The voice of Nawal El Saadawi is used on the album's song "Badass".
Critical reception
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." He added, "in spite of its threatening, intimidating moodscapes, it's stacked with exhilarating club bangers." 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." 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." 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."
Accolades + Year-end lists for Beside Myself Publication List Rank Clash Albums of the Year 2025 Crack The Top 50 Albums of 2025 DJ Mag DJ Mag's Top Albums of 2025 The Wire The Wire's Releases of the Year 2025
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
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) Peakposition
References
Further reading
External links