- Sara Chen's music has consistently mutated since the post-dubstep days of "Please" and "Idiot," her earliest singles for Hyperdub. She's a criminally underrated DJ who breezes through whiplash-inducing tempo or style changes. This is heard in her productions, though they don't always feel geared towards the club—recent albums Distractions and Aerotropolis were more like glittering electronic pop than club music. Effortlessly combining house and grime, "Oral Suspension," on DBA Dubs, is Chen in dance floor mode.
The swooping stop-start motions of "Oral Suspension" recall the early days of Night Slugs, and the way the rhythm moves between half-time and 4/4 makes it a head-turner. It feels soulful and classic yet new and experimental, which reflects Chen's DJ style. Big Strick's remix cages Chen's fluttering chords in a thumping house frame. He keeps its cheeky bounce, a balancing act that feels just as effortless as Chen's.
TracklistA Ikonika - Oral Suspension
B Ikonika - Oral Suspension (Big Strick Remix)