Spas and Sound Magic

Philadelphia-based artists DJ Haram and Moor Mother have gathered their forces for a new, relentlessly catching project called 700 Bliss. And, they’ve just dropped their first EP, SPA 700. Prepare to melt away with a deep sonorous bass, skittering beats and vivid lyrics. We had a chat with Zubeyda (DJ Haram) and Camae (Moor Mother) about exposure, spas and heavy nostalgia.

You are represented by Discwoman, a progressive collective and agency in electronic music. What makes this agency stand out

Zu: I feel like whenever women and trans artists can come together it’s a win for everyone. So we need more collectives like this and people who self start things to help their community. Discwoman actually makes sure that the ones involved are getting enough resources. Exposure is a trap. Discwoman is not about the looks, it’s about trying to get the artists paid and represented correctly as well.

Your album, SPA 700. Does it have similarities with an actual spa? Refreshing, healing and sparking new energy?

Zu: It’s actually literally the idea behind the title. Spas are important places for women to heal, talk and exchange feelings and ideas. Dancing is also related to feeling things and feeling safe.

And the ‘700’, in 700 Bliss?

Camae: 700 bitches living inside society’s shit. 700 is an infinite number though because we continue to develop and reach out to other artists to collaborate with. The crowd for this music will naturally grow out of people that identify themselves with the topics we are singing about.

Your lyrics seem to have a political side to them. Is there an inherent form of activism or is it merely a soft encouragement to open up perspectives?

Camae: It’s up to the listener to interpret this, but nobody has to force it. That’s the beauty of music; word magic and sound magic. If people tune in, they can get the whole message or just get the message through the drums, for example. The beauty of music is that you can keep finding new things to tap into. The word and sound magic create waves. We don’t force anything that is reactionary. We do all of our stuff through love. We’re not folding or crumbling.