Beatrice M. - Sinking (2026)

Beatrice M.'s sound world hinges on the liminal—the haunting gravity which abounds at the intersection of 140 and dub techno. The Paris-based producer and DJ has been quietly but surely gaining ground since 2023, with impressive early ventures emerging via the KRAKZH and hundert imprints, as well as a residency on Rinse France which set their ceiling high from the off. The music has since evolved into an impressive and cohesive product; it slots nicely into the space carved out by contemporary 140 practitioners—Yushh, Darwin, Syz, Delay Grounds, and their ilk—but is its own thing. Their work finds clear focus in its incorporation of familiar dub-adjacent synths and spatial effects as compositional tools, while nurturing a healthy openness to rhythmic variation across cuts (and the genre-wise resonances which this entails).

Sinking, as a title, aptly encapsulates the album's whole. On a first listen, the feeling conjured is akin to looking at the world from the wrong side of water, watching bubbles rise to the surface as you descend; this inertia is inherent in the production, sucking you into a groove while building pressure and anticipation. Repetition and trackier arrangements which could, without proper treatment, sound like unfulfilled ideas, present across the album as tasteful restraint, ripe for the throes of a rolling dance floor after peak time. There are highlights, of course: the deep, punchy tech house cut "Disco Corner" bristles with skippy momentum; title track "Sinking" is replete with detailed interplay between parts and a vibe that evokes turn-of-the-millenium work from artists like Theorem and Circulation; "In Touch" bridges the channel with steezy bilingual verses courtesy of Jinnal and Kaba who hang tight within the 4/4 halftime vibe.

This debut full-length brims with self-assurance. Beatrice M. has clearly put in the time to map the space between their favoured styles and has arrived at a clear sense of how the music functions–and holds–within the contexts they write for. One to watch with great interest.