Beta Librae^US

Named after the brightest star in the Libra constellation, Beta Librae’s cosmic techno expeditions are dubbed-out invitations to lose oneself in the afterglow of her propulsively languid grooves. This rising Brooklyn star is shaping the sub-bass sounds of her adopted hometown with heavy-lidded forays into the lush borderlands of house and techno—decorating her faraway lullabies with delicate downtempo gestures and acid-flecked synth stabs.

Growing up in Kansas, Hoffman was given a blank canvas to dabble in musicals, wild art collages and disco-scored roller rides. Upon relocating to Brooklyn, she realized those creative experiences had shaped both her cut-and-sewn digital processes and her DIY penchant for community-oriented collaborations. Swope Park (2015), her first cassette tape of subterranean techno for 1080p, set in motion a prolific streak of hardware-driven releases, always oscillating between loosey-goosey percussions, silky-smooth atmospheres and tarnished techno beats. In addition to releasing Sanguine Bond (2018), her third full-length on Anthony Naples’ Incienso imprint, she has kept up an admirable side hustle as co-founder and co-operator of New York’s monthly Technofeminism events alongside Umfang, where they book female-identifying artists at venues such as the Bossa Nova Civic Club.

Having spent 2018 racking up support slots for minimal and melodic heavyweights such as Jon Hopkins, Juan Atkins and Yaeji, in addition to holding down a residency at Queens’s Nowadays, Hoffman brings a live set of her gooey, woozy and ground-shaking sonic stylings to the festival.