State OFFF || ADE

On Thursday during ADE, the multi-talented artist will present a unique A/V performance titled *Umzimba* at Paradiso for the first time. Zimbabwe-born, Amsterdam-based DJ and producer State OFFF is quickly emerging as a standout name on the international club scene. He blends influences from around the world, including baile funk from São Paulo, Baltimore club, London bass, and gqom from Durban—an energetic South African dance style with raw, syncopated rhythms. Fans know him for his productions, including his debut EP *GQOM TODAY* (2022), as well as his performances at Parallel, Lente Kabinet Festival, Nyege Nyege, and Liquid Room in Edinburgh. During ADE, he will present his new A/V performance, *Umzimba*. In this piece, heavy percussion sounds from live hardware sequencers respond to a language model that converts sound into visuals. The work explores a kind of “ghostly experience” of a body under strain: sweat, fatigue, and exhaustion—even though no physical body is present. The result is a dialogue between analog rhythm and digital intelligence, in which sound becomes image and rhythm transforms into fragmentary, poetic language.

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