Sound Edition: An Intro To Introspekt, Her Impactful DJ Set For Mixmag

DJ sets are supposed to be jolts of energy to make people dance, but that is not always the case. Some DJ sets are more intricate and detailed, and Introspekt’s DJ set for Mixmag falls under this category in great form. 

Sage Introspekt (she/her) is a surging DJ star from LA, but is now based in NY. From her sound, you would not think that. Rooted deep in a love for UK drill and garage, she has taken the UK staple and spun it in her way, adding in elements of lo-fi and techno. She has just released her album, Moving The Center, under UK dubstep label Tempa. 

She wants to use the medium of music to disrupt the very genres she is so deeply invested in. “I hope that my recontextualizing isn’t too disruptive, because I’m also trying to learn from these people,” she states in an interview, “As much as I’m trying to tell my perspective, I’m also trying to integrate these other perspectives into a broader picture of what’s going on.” 

And that perspective is her identity as a Black trans queer woman. It is hard to wonder how to indulge such an instrumental and voiceless genre as house with unrepresented perspectives, but throughout her set with Mixmag, she does it plentifully. 

A Simple Atmosphere and Performance

The music is the reason one goes to a DJ set, but the atmosphere and overall vibe play an important role. For Introspekt’s set, the stage and dance area are not the biggest (but I will not be surprised to see her at a bigger venue soon). The initial angles make the venue and audience only seem it is a small room full of 15-20 people, but some angles do show the place to be bigger than it is. 

This does not change the fact that people did enjoy the set. The audience is not furiously bumping or being all over each other on beat to the music, but they are easily swaying to the music as the tempo is not obscenely fast. “Right now, my optimum BPM range is 140, with 70 BPM grooves mixed in,” she states. “I like to dance slow and sexy, with a lot of hip movement.” She captures that feeling greatly, with some of the faster grooves dropping into slower, half-time feels to allow some of the audience to sensually sway. 

The lighting is nice, but nothing extraordinary. A simple soft blue light coats the audience as Introspekt herself is brightly lit with a typical white light. Mixmag has a logo in green animated in the background, but it does not greatly add to the atmosphere of the set. 

For most of the set, Instrospekt is totally locked in and focused. At first, she seems a little bit nervous, wanting to make sure everything is tidy and correct, but as the set progresses, the tight focus shifts to a more relaxed focus. She still remains stoic throughout, but definitely gets more and more comfortable as the set goes on. 

The Importance of Sequencing

The set itself opens with echoing synths and tickling electronics, with someone narrating, “It’s metamorphic. The power of transformation, to adapt and become anything. Shedding the past like old skin, holding, I’m bound by what is possible. It’s an incredible feeling.” The narration sets the tone for the entire set, the mystery, the meaning; it is all so important to Introspekt. 

As previously mentioned, this is not a DJ set meant to make you go crazy and dance without control. It’s a set where you appreciate every little detail, every little synth, drum piece, and sample. The opening moments have this alarming synth loop over dry and airy percussion, just a simple snare and hi-hat. 

The first drop around the 3:20 mark is not earth-shattering, but adds important layers. The dry percussion gets switched for a busier and jumping mix, before changing once more with a small vocal sample. Introspekt truly masters the art of transition during the mix, whereas some DJs might want to have big differences between tracks to shift energy or to change genres, she often will carry things over from the previous track to make the transition seamless, showcasing her detailed approach to make sure nothing is too overbearing when changing tracks. 

These seamless changes also make changing genres very easy. She can easily transition from tracks with bongos and more South American beat syncopations to more atmospheric, synth-heavy drum and bass. Her talent is truly displayed by the amount of genres she cycles through, some including dubstep, South American, lo-fi, and with one of the best moments in the set,  90s hip hop.

At 13:20, Introspekt starts to tease this little blip of The Notorious B.I.G.’s sample in “Hypnotize”, which is originally a guitar from Herb Alpert’s “Rise”. She keeps flipping the sample over the South American beat, before fully swapping to the sample, now being used much forefronted with a heavy kick drum. It is one of the only true heavy drops in the whole set, and it is done with such an iconic sample, even continuing to use it with a more boom-bap beat to match it. 

Speaking of samples, of course Introspekt uses samples, with most of them not being the most typical. One of the most interesting samples she uses is bird and other animal noises around the 22:45 mark. It is reminiscent of Cornelius’s “Birds Watching at Inner Forest”, with the echoing nature of the bird and animal noises adding great volume to the mix. 32:15 has this really beautiful piano sample, mixed in with some electric shocking noises and sensual moans (which are used quite often in the mix). 

She can then easily transition to a complete deepening and ominous drop at the 37:30 mark. With low and humming synths, snappy and aggressive synths, along with lighter synths phasing in and out, it is something that would be out of place in a horror game. She varies her sound so much so easily; it is truly impressive. 

It is no wonder Introspekt has already done multiple Boiler Room sets. Her talent is all over this mix, from unique genres, extremely smooth transitions, and unconventional samples, proving that she can reach very high heights in the DJ scene. The importance of her identity and craft leads her music to hold so much more meaning than just beats; she is truly subverting the drill and electronic scene for the better.