Preview – Submerged in Sound: An Asé Listening Experience
Union Hall Art Space and Asé Continuum presents Submerged in Sound: An Asé Listening Experience, an immersive, curated listening event exploring the Afrofuturist lineage in music. Now sold-out, the event takes place on Saturday, April 18 (Record Store Day) from 6-9PM as a part of Union Hall’s current exhibition Drexciya: Into the Deep, curated by Sierra Jeter, featuring art from Darrien Williamson, Ehime Ora, Johnny Draco, Kimber Greenwood, and Yasmin “Yazz” Atmore.
Submerged in Sound invites audiences to trace a sonic journey from early innovators to contemporary bass music culture. This activation is unlike anything we’ve seen in Denver, bringing a rare vinyl listening session on a hand built hi-fi sound system in an art gallery space for a truly unique immersive cultural experience.
Submerged in Sound is presented as part of Union Hall’s annual Rough Gems curatorial training program, with Drexciya: Into the Deep as the first of three exhibitions. The exhibition explores a subaqueous Afrofuturist mythology rooted in African diasporic history, music, and remembrance. Originating from the Detroit techno duo Drexciya and their 1992 album Deep Sea Dweller, the Drexciya mythos unfolds through aquatic soundscapes, album art, and speculative narratives that reimagine survival beyond historical violence.
Submerged in Sound is led by Darrien Williamson, founder of Asé Aperture and creator of the Dem Deya Sound System. It features legendary Detroit artist Sinistarr and is hosted by multidisciplinary creative Sierra Jeter. Together, they will guide attendees through a deeply researched, experiential exploration of rare and historically significant records, examining how bass, sound system culture, Black electronic music, and Black musical futurism have shaped global music movements. The evening’s central theme—sonic legacy—emphasizes how artists create with intention, shaping more liberated futures through sound.
Framed within the context of Afrofuturism, Submerged in Sound treats each record as a historical artifact—“a drop in the ocean”—contributing to a broader narrative of sonic legacy. Across genres such as house, techno, dub, ghettotech, and footwork, the program highlights how Black electronic music traditions have long transformed the dance floor into a sacred space for healing, resistance, and collective liberation. From the legacy of slavery to ongoing systemic oppression, music and movement have served as vital tools for psychological and spiritual restoration.
Program Highlights Include:
– A HiFi vinyl listening experience on Dem Deya Sound System, a handbuilt sound system created by Darrien Williamson (Scarien)
– African diasporic storytelling within the Drexciya: Into the Deep exhibition
– Insightful commentary, historical context, and lived perspectives from Sinistarr and Scarien
– Live DJ sets by Sinistarr and Scarien
– Hosting and curatorial framing by Sierra Jeter
About the Artists & Curator
Darrien Williamson is the builder and owner of Dem Deya Sound System, a collective dedicated to sharing the message and culture of reggae roots music. His practice spans speaker building, music production, and community-centered event curation. Through his forthcoming design practice, Asé Continuum, Williamson explores the intersection of sound, craftsmanship, and the creative force as a tool for connection and expression. His recent projects include building DJ environments for Malinche Audio Bar and La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal.
Sinistarr (Detroit, MI/Denver, CO) is an acclaimed producer and DJ known for his innovative approach to electronic music. Emerging from the drum & bass scene in the late 2000s, he has expanded his sound across footwork, jungle, and techno while maintaining a distinctive sonic identity rooted in Detroit’s musical legacy. His recent releases appear on Exit Records, Hooversound, Defrostatica, and International Chrome.
Sierra Jeter is an Afro-Indigenous multidisciplinary artist, ancestral medicine practitioner, and storyteller based in Denver. Working across photography, video, immersive installation, and narrative-driven forms, her practice centers healing, transformation, and collective liberation. Her work honors ancestral knowledge while creating space for reflection and expression, with a focus on the experiences and legacies of Black and Brown communities.
