DJ Haram’s full-length debut begins with the lonely drone of a plucked guitar note, crackling against the ambivalent chatter of a crowded room. It’s a powerful audio metaphor for many of the themes that course their way through the veins of this album. Throughout the project, the Brooklyn-based producer weaves together a disparate collection of sounds and an inspired list of collaborators to examine the artist’s role in modern society, when everything seems on the verge of collapse and the worth of art is delegitimized by many. On Beside Myself, the producer combines percussion from the Middle East, experimental sound-collage techniques, and electronic beats that fit nicely into the rich lineage of drum-focused music released on Hyperdub, Haram’s label home. On the Moor Mother-assisted “Lifelike,” for instance, Haram cooks up an anxious groove built around siren-like synths, industrial drums, and a smattering of textural accents. “IDGAF,” with Abdul Hakim Bilal, forces the ambivalence of its title against breakbeat percussion, wailing guitars, and stirring Eastern samples—showcasing the power of dynamic tension.