Darrien

Sound System culture emerged as a means of survival and celebration during post-war, pre-independence Kingston, Jamaica. Exhibiting artist Darrien Williamson, builder of Dem Deya Sound System, continues this tradition. From constructing speakers to producing music, Williamson brings people together through audio parties and by expanding into design, furniture, and sculptural objects with Asé Continuum, a practice rooted in the Yoruba concept of asé, the spiritual power to create. Within the exhibition Drexciya: Into the Deep, curated by Sierra Jeter, one of Williamson’s fully-functional, custom-designed, hand-built sound systems pays homage to the tools and genres that had a heavy influence in 20th-century Black musical expression. The base of the Williamson’s sounsystem is inspired by designs from the 80’s, and the horns on top are inspired by designs from the 30’s. The setup within this exhibition is just half of the original design, yet Williamson, who goes by the DJ name Scarien, was able to blow away audiences with a live performance during the opening reception in March and an intimate vinyl session in April. @dystopik__ provided technical and visual support for this installation at Union Hall, bringing in movement and contextual storytelling to the Drexciyan mythology from which this exhibition is derived. There’s only two more days to witness the designs of Dem Deya sound systems! Afterward, follow along @demdeyasound @scarien for future music events. 📸 Photos by Helen Yoseph and Raymundo Muñoz

🎱🌼🍃BMR035🍃🌼🎱 Scarien - “Changes” Flowers are opening up again, sprouting anew to the world. A whole lotta things done changed. Bees are busy again, ferrying bounties back to their hive. A whole lotta things done changed. Rain is falling again, nourishing the earth. A whole lotta things done changed. Year after year, the cycle is the same, but a whole lotta things done changed! We are so back! This month we’ve got @scarien with us on team Black Magic to help usher in springtime with his lush and hypnotic 160 roller of a tune, “Changes.” Images of rebirth spring to mind as the hypnotic and fractal-like synth sounds swirl atop organic and energetic drums. Sitting somewhere between jungle, house, and dub, “Changes” finds a lane of its own that’s anchored by Scarien’s clever vocal sample choices. This track is a perfect bookend to a night out, whether its used to kick things off right or to bring it back full-circle to close things out. This track, like so much of nature’s beauty, is all too fleeting. Support it now while its in full bloom ❤️ Use the link in our bio or hit our Bandcamp to listen! 🔗 Dedicated to mindfulness around all the things changing around us in the world rn, therefore naturally leading us to change in return 🎼🎧🎛️ 💿 Composed, Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by @scarien 🎨 Artwork by @roobs.infinity 🎱 Black Magic Recordings | BMR035 #electronic #blackmagic #666 #bandcamp #newmusic

Whole lotta things done changed! @scarien x @blackmagicrecs “Changes” is out on 4/16 on Bandcamp 🌸

Tried to document Q1 but you cannot completely capture a life of gratitude & abundance. We indeed put up numbers tho. 1. 2 kings 2. @_motarola looking suavé in DDSS x Bad Brains 3. @ladiabladenver install 4. Mood 5. Theo vibemaxxing 6. Sound system for Vibe Check ft @cheese_geeza 7. @_gabe_young & @catherineisdead in London 8. Myself with the American king of dubstep 9. London family 10. Middle eastern deliciousness 11. Sittin on chrome 12. Massive @frankpomes mural 13. Drexciya Art installation @unionhalldenver 14/15. When you tell ur friend you a dj 16. Front nose slide to regular 17. Kushmaxxing dog 18. sound system for babe roots

Journey through the currents of Afrofuturism at Submerged in Sound: An Asé Aperture Listening Experience on April 18 from 6-9pm at Union Hall 🔊 From the echoes of early innovators to the pulse of modern bass culture, this curated listening experience traces a lineage that has shaped global sound, and continues to imagine new futures. Guided by Darrien Williamson (Asé Aperture / Dem Deya Sound), featuring Detroit legend and visionary Sinistarr, and hosted by Sierra Jeter, curator of Drexciya: Into the Deep, this listening session is a deep dive into sonic legacy, storytelling, and black liberation through sound. Expect rare records, a handbuilt HiFi sound system, immersive diasporic narratives, and DJ sets that move body, mind, and spirit. ❗Seating is limited; RSVP through the link in bio!❗ @sinistarr_ @scarien @demdeyasound

Last one for 25’ and probably 26’