- New-school Detroit dance music, four ways.
- The DJ Girl EP originally came out digital-only in 2020—before this year's head-turning, psytrance-inflected SLSK Trax 12-inch—but the extra time hasn't dulled its significant edge. Remastered and pressed to wax via Austin label-to-watch EAT DIS, the four-track record presents a raw, more elemental side of the Detroit producer, with hints of of glimmer beneath a rough exterior. Opener "Temptress" is a case in point. The overdriven kick drums hint at hardstyle but they stumble over each other in a giddy rush a pattern that undercuts the heaviness. Floating above is a shimmering synth lead that occasionally catches the light, so that "Temptress" feels ethereal and earthy at the same time.
The rest of the EP consists of genre exercises with DJ Girl's inimitable, new-school-meets-old-school style. My favourite is "The Bass," a cross between early electro and ghettotech with an irresistibly wormy bassline and the kind of simple but brilliant vocal cut-up you'd hear on a '90s Dance Mania record. "Cuica" is a more subdued electro, with a vocal buried far in the mix, as if coming from behind a wall—the kind of odd decision that makes you want to wade into the aural muck to figure out what's going on. Then there's "Detroit By Morning," a clear if personal tribute to the sound of vintage Detroit techno. The stargazing chords hint at the dreamiest side of the genre, but the pacey kicks touch on something mode modern. That's the DJ Girl appeal right there. On her self-titled EP, she flips Detroit traditions four ways, adding a sense of glee, chaos and speed that's already setting her apart from everyone else.
Tracklist01. Temptress
02. Cuica
03. The Bass
04. Detroit By Morning