I was fortunate enough to see DJ MARIA. play in February this year. The venue was nothing to write home about: a takeover space in a commercial building in the centre of Tokyo with a modest four-point system that was to be put through its paces. And yet, I stood largely mesmerised for three hours—my brain bent beyond the humble point needed to point and shoot a few videos. The one video that I did take seemingly didn’t do justice to my sober recollections of the night. It was but a slice of the journey, devoid of the broader story that DJ MARIA. was crafting in front of us.

This, I think, is all too common for masterful deep techno acts. The magic is the work as a whole, which is something far greater than the sum of its parts. To be transfixed is to look back, pinch oneself and wonder: did that really happen?

For the first time, DJ MARIA. has teamed up for a collaborative release, which sees her join forces with Proxima boss Audrey Danza. At the more considered level, what strikes me about Inner Call is how clearly one can trace the influences of the respective collaborators. DJ MARIA. brings that heady gyrating throughline, reminiscent of Takumi Inamoto’s barn-smashing Bassiani mix. This force ebbs and flows in the mix, spiralling around Danza’s uptempo, psy-infused sound. Syncopated stabs—of the more minimal varietal—give the track more groove, pushing it forever forward as the artists trade their signatures.

Having sublimated my enjoyment of Inner Call above, I leave the dedicated reader with a final thought: be ready to lock in at 4:43. It’s unlikely that this moment will be filmed on many devices, for most listeners will probably be occupied doing finger guns. And fair enough. Adjectives do not quite capture the joy of this drop, the culmination of the ebb and flow, and the supreme control that steers the track from its climax to its inevitable conclusion.

Catch DJ MARIA. at dstreet’s Vivid LIVE party on Saturday 24 May 2025.

★★★★/4

Joe Negrine

19 April 2025