MSJY is a highly sought-after, Berlin-based DJ and curator, who is affiliated with Dekmantel and has been a former resident at Amsterdam‘s De School, Groningen‘s OOST and Berlin’s Greissmuehle. Over the past eight years or so, MSJY has developed a reputation for thoughtful and playful sets that draw from trip-hop and IDM and feature big bass drops and breakbeats.

MSJY’s newest project Xades — pronounced shades — sees the highly sought-after DJ and curator boldly stepping out from behind the decks and into the limelight as singer/songwriter. With Xades, MSJY pushes her sound and approach with the project touching upon dub, downtempo electronica and contemporary R&B, while being informed by her international and multicultural roots: Her mother is Brazilian, her father is Argentinian and she has a Swiss passport.

Her latest Xades single, the playful and coquettish “Locked In” features warm and vibey, neo-soul-leaning instrumentation, including a supple bass line, fluttering flute, and Latin percussion paired with skittering beats, a garage-inspired groove and twinkling synths, an infectious hook and MSJY’s sultry delivery. While being a summery bop that’s simultaneously club and lounge friendly, the song captures and evokes the pent up energy of being locked up inside and isolated from others for months on end — and literally bouncing off your walls.