State OFFF || ADE

On the Thursday of ADE, the multi-talented artist presents a special A/V performance at Paradiso for the first time, titled Umzimba.

Zimbabwe-born and Amsterdam-based DJ and producer State OFFF is rapidly emerging as a standout name in the international club scene. He blends influences from around the world, including São Paulo’s baile funk, Baltimore club, London bass, and Durban’s gqom , an energetic South African dance style known for its raw, syncopated rhythms. Fans know him for his productions, including his debut EP GQOM TODAY (2022), as well as performances at venues and festivals such as Parallel, Lente Kabinet Festival, Nyege Nyege, and Liquid Room in Edinburgh.

During ADE, he presents his new A/V performance Umzimba. In this work, heavy percussion from live hardware sequencers interacts with a language model that translates sound into visuals. The piece explores a kind of “phantom experience” of a body under strain: sweat, fatigue, and exhaustion, even though no physical body is present.

The result is a dialogue between analogue rhythm and digital intelligence, where sound becomes image and rhythm transforms into fragmented, poetic language.