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Various - Be Bold EP

Various

Be Bold EP

12inchKR013
Karma Recordings
25.09.2024

From Karma Recordings comes their thirteenth EP. Following on from the superb remix of Crystals Blame was asked once again to step to the controls to rework DJ Ande’s Be Bold which featured on the Almost There EP which was Karma’s fifth release. Blame mentioned that he loved the piano riff so it seemed obvious to ask him to Blame it up !! The results as they always are with Blame are outstanding. Flip the vinyl over and first up is Haunting from DJ KOS which was made some time ago and has had excellent reaction through our social media channels and this seemed a great addition to the release. Now, a Karma Recordings staple DJ Terrace delivers once again with XXL, superb samples and Terrace doing what he does best with the synths. Bound to be another classic to behold…

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Last In: 2 years ago
15,08 €
Altern 8 - Hard Crew

Seminal UK-Rave act Altern 8 drop first single in 27 years.

Entitled ‘Hard Crew’, the release has been a fixture of Altern 8’s live sets for the past five years and is the first release since 1993’s ‘Everybody’ on the legendary Network Records imprint.

Accompanied by remixes from Denham Audio, Samurai Breaks feat DJM and Mechanizm & Kin, the unabashed UK hardcore track is being released to help fund the WeAreViable campaign which seeks to pressure the UK Government into supporting the arts and events industry during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Altern 8’s impact on electronic music cannot be overstated with Mark Archer and former member Chris Peat first pairing up as Nexus 21 before donning their trademark dust masks and shaping the nascent UK rave sound while simultaneously achieving international commercial and critical success.

Altern 8’s ‘Hardcrew’ is released on Stafford North with a percentage of profits going to the WeAreViable campaign.

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Last In: 3 years ago
12,56 €
Maxi Priest Ft Macka B - None A Jah Children Remixes

Maxi Priest teams up with Macka B to cover Ras Michael's Rasta Hymn 'None a Jah Children'.

The vocals were orginally used for Maxi's Hit album 'Easy 2 Love'. Now they are remixed by new producer Fliomuzik featuring added vocals by Macka B.

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Last In: 3 years ago
17,61 €
Phil Tangent - Billiers Smile / Lunar

Repress in legendary Soul:r Sleeve for 2022


A Soul:r classic by Phil Tangent. 'Billie's Smile is a absolute Anthem! Sweeping strings rise over a mysterious female vocal enveloping your consciousness as super tight beats rain down. Showing D&B can be emotive and inspiring whilst remaining powerful enough for the dancefloor. 'Lunar' on the flip roams with a Detroit techno and funk backbone keep the groove driving to end. Surreal sonics evolve as a wall shaking bass line contorts the sub frequencies. A classic 12' not to be missed.
DJ support from Marcus Intalex, Doc Scott, Bailey, Hype, DJ Lee.

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Last In: 2 years ago
10,04 €
Raise & Sgt. Risk - The Shining Wall/ Weaponized Soul

A - Raise & Sgt. Risk - The Shining Wall

A slowed down tribute to the dichotomy of mellow/heavy in mid 90's Jungle/Drum n' Bass, "The Shining Wall" begins with eery pads and a forlorn siren call, gently driven along by a subtle amen groove. Midway through, things turn more aggressive with distorted break switchups and a smattering of mentasm for good measure, before coming full circle and leaving you with a warm but somewhat uncertain end.

B - Sgt. Risk - Weaponized Soul

The flip is a more ominous affair, inspired by the short transition period ca. '96, just before techstep became a defined term. "Weaponized Soul" sets the mood with foreboding pads, until it drops into a relentless barrage of industrial beats and a cavernous sub. In the midway breakdown everything drops away, clearing the stage for a monstrous, swarmlike synthriff.

Both of these tracks where never meant to be "conceptual tributes", but just ended up that way.
A is fairly new, while B is the umpteenth version of a ten year old tune. Big up the Dolphin Man for convincing us to put them out together.

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Last In: 3 years ago
9,03 €
Submerse - Fifteen Blocks

Next up on Breaker Breaker: 4 cuts of retrospective, video-game-inspired Jungle from Tokyo based Submerse.

Across previous releases on Apollo (R&S), Hospital Records and Project: Mooncircle, Submerse's sound has traversed Jungle, UKG, Autonomic, HipHop / R&B and Footwork.

Here, he comes full circle with a record named after the scarce and sacred space on a PS1 memory card. Fifteen Blocks scatters deftly cut breaks, convivial pads and tightly sprung bass tones with a clear sense of mastery and ease.

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Last In: 22 months ago
16,39 €
Unglued - What On Earth LP 2x12"

Prepare for take-off as your favourite multidimensional sound supplier, Unglued, unveils his long-awaited second album, "What on Earth". Set to launch you into the stratosphere with 14 fresh meteoric cuts, the Brighton-based producer continues to prove himself as one of the most innovative in the game. Expect a killer line-up of collaborations alongside Pola & Bryson, Lens, SOLAH, Urbandawn, Sweetie Irie, Waeys, Duskee, Paige Eliza and heaps more.Get ready to embark on an auditory adventure like no other - "What on Earth" by Unglued is set to be his biggest release to date, and it's guaranteed to be out of this world.


Since his unforgettable entrance onto the drum & bass circuit with his infamous remix of High Contrast's "If We Ever", Unglued has quickly become known for having one of the most distinct and versatile production styles in modern dance music. His debut album "Interplanetary Radio" was home to anthems such as "South By West", "Total XTC" and "Way Back When (feat. Esther Durin)", and since then Unglued has unleashed a slew of radioactive rumblers such as "If You Like That" with Whiney, Lens & Doktor, "Show Me The Light (feat. Kathy Brown)", and "Warning" alongside Pola & Bryson. Championed by leading industry tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Charlie Tee, Sherelle, Annie Mac, and more, Unglued's flawless musical output has led to him lighting up stages at some of the biggest shows and festivals across the globe, including Glastonbury, Boomtown, Hospitality On The Beach, Rampage, and Let It Roll to name a few. Not to mention sell-out tours across USA, Australia and New Zealand! "What On Earth" will be available in digital and vinyl formats from your nearest planet on 26th July

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Last In: 22 months ago
38,24 €
Ike - Pulsar

Ike

Pulsar

12inchINDEX013
INDEX:Records
04.08.2023

INDEX:Records is blessed to announce the homecoming of Ike. It’s been a wee while since his last full club outing, but we welcome him back to this realm with open-arms.

Lacing up with chuggy system-rattler 'Vernis VIP', Pulsar is a symbiosis of palpitating-wub and delicate, soft melody. On 'Rose Quartz', perfectly sedated drums are melded with luscious vox – a gratifying release to bass-driven tension-builder, 'Gage'. Mushing a cherry immaculately on top is a Mathis Ruffing indulgence ('Gage Remix'), who treats us to a frenzied yet controlled excursion into DnB hedonism.

Limited edition 12" vinyl of 150 copies, with full colour centre label artwork, white inners and pink outer sleeve.

Written & Produced by Ike Zwanikken
Remix by Mathis Ruffing
Artwork by Amos Turner
Mastered & Cut by Marco @ Analog Cut
Words by Conna Haraway

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Last In: 3 years ago
HNGWY - Holigan

Hngwy

Holigan

12inchGARM05
GARMO
09.06.2023

Hngwy is a Scottish producer known for his unique blend of IDM, jungle and bass music with constant nods to his dub, techno and ambient influences. His music is often characterized by intricate drum patterns, experimental soundscapes and glitchy textures, all of which come together to create an atmosphere that is both frenetic and cerebral.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Samurai Breaks - Jus A Raver

Since Samurai Breaks took home the award for DJ Mag’s ‘Best Breakthrough Producer’ back in 2021, he has been at the forefront of the UK 160+bpm explosion over the last few years. His signature style of footwork, jungle, baseline, 4x4 rave and grime has seen him play at festivals like Glastonbury, Boomtown and Bangface, alongside epic back to backs with some of the scenes heroes like Mandidextrous, Sully, NAINA, Fixate, Addison Groove and Pete Cannon.

Following his fiery EP ‘Turbo Rave Artillery’ on Hooversound back in the summer of ’21 (featuring a weighty remix from one of the leading figures in the modern jungle scene, Coco Bryce), Samurai Breaks returns on the Hoover imprint, flexing his unique fusion of genres that fits perfectly amongst the Hooversound roster.

The ‘Jus A Raver’ EP optimises everything the artist is about, from wobbly baselines to his experimental blend of high tempo genres. The EP includes Polo Lilli’s debut on Hooversound, with a remix that takes you on a wild journey and perfectly rounds off the release.

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Last In: 18 months ago
14,24 €
rush2theUnknown - EP1 MC (TAPE)

rush2theUnknown is a project born in pandemic-era provincial New Zealand, developed in the hills of Izu Peninsula, Japan, but forged in the fire of potent teenage memories — the flames of the future sounds of jungle and drum 'n' bass that exploded onto dance floors across the urban centres of New Zealand in the mid 90's. Two old friends, both who played pivotal roles in the development of New Zealand's own jungle and drum 'n' bass scenes in the 1990s, estranged for decades, reunited amidst the isolation and chaos of covid. They began an experiment, attempting to recapture the feeling of having their heads overwhelmed by sounds they couldn't quite comprehend as adolescents — in particular, channeling the energy, spirit, and vibe of 1995 to 1997, where the ever-mutating evolution of jungle intersected with the dawning of drum 'n' bass to create a utopian future vision, before the latter genre changed course and moved increasingly darker.

By weaving in the influences that these two long-lost friends had accumulated over the decades, most notably from ambient, kankyõ ongaku, new age, minimalism, and some of the deepest research into the history of Japanese video game music ever conducted, the pair attempt to discover new terrain from an specific era of dance music that was never fully explored.

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Last In: 2 years ago
10,88 €
The Collector - Dangerwank Records #1

This limited edition debut release from “The Collector” is a incredible 4 tracker showcasing 4 great styles from this new producer. Only 250 copies on Red Vinyl! After collecting records for the last 25 years “The Collector” decided to give something back to the scene. This limited edition 4 track EP kicks off with “Slap the shit out if it”. A hybrid hardcore techno / breakbeat track at 180bpm that rolls along nicely with great samples and programming. Next up is “All the F’s” which is a proper old skool jungle banger. With hilarious samples from “The inbetweeners” this track is a proper classic. On the flip is the PCP/Mover style doomcore techno track to rival any of the output from Germanys top doomy techno label! Finally “Bitch aint’ one” samples Jay Zs classic 99 problems to great effect. This Deathchant style track will sit nicely in a UK hardcore set. 4 top tracks from this new producer that are well worth checking out!

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Last In: 3 years ago
The House Crew - Ozomalti’s Return Part One Box Set 5x12"

• The House Crew are legendary in the scene, with numerous classic anthem releases and remixes
• This box set contains the first two EPs, and the first two original Remix EPs, gloriously remastered, as well as brand new remixes from some of the most talented people in the business old skool and new: Blame, Hyper On Experience, Liquid, Pete Cannon and Manix as well as three brand new tracks - the first new music from House Crew in decades!
• It is very limited in number with only 800 being pressed, so once it is gone, it is gone.
Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, Jay Cunning, Hixxy, Danny Byrd, D Bridge, The Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many, many others.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Tim Reaper & NVious - The Orbit

2024 Repress

Sister label to The Lee Garden Historical Preservation Society is the humorously titled “Shark With Laser On Head Recordings”. The manifestation of a 20-year-old Toronto Jungle Message Board joke which spawned hours of shit-posting and burner account discourse and even a Gremlinz produced track to continue the joke even more tangibly on the legendary message board community.

Contemporary Jungle flagbearer Tim Reaper inaugurates the Big Bad Shark off with “The Orbit”, an aesthetical statement of intent, harnessing echoes of Wax Doctor and Alex Reece from the cosmos and pinning the feeling down with euphoric pads and a ten-tonne soundman b line ensuring that all the lasers are shot from the head into the sky.

Flip for the shimmering amen lash of “Quincy” as Tim collaborates with Motor City beat smith Nvious to pay homage to Dreamscape tape Bukem. Another entry certifying the tradition of cross pollination between London and Detroit continues to bear fruit.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Underground Software - Underground Software Remixes EP

The second remix in the series comes from the Underground Software catalogue.

Underground Software does not get the credit he deserves for his input in this jungle scene and is responsible for a lot of classics over the years.

So it is an absolute pleasure to be able to have his music on our label. Comprehensive Vibe originally appeared on Underground Software EP on the legendary Reinforced Records and we are delighted to release an unreleased version of the track and a remix by Stretch and Enjoy who pay respect to the original
elements and bring it into the now.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Zara - Di Plastica EP

Zara

Di Plastica EP

12inchSALT019
Salt Mines
17.08.2022

Salt Mines welcomes newcomer Zara to the family with an EP inspired by the sounds, colours and textures of festivals in the Australian bush. With this record Zara debuts a musical style that is dened in its identity yet dees categorisation.

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Last In: 11 months ago
MC Duke AKA The Darkest Knight - The Darkest Knight EP

MC Duke aka The Darkest Knight EP Picture Disc

Subbase honors the great MC Duke, Kashif Adham, a true legend in the music scene and the Godfather of UK Rap.

This incredible limited edition tribute vinyl picture disc celebrates MC Duke's legacy. He began working with Suburban Base in the early '90s and became the most prolific artist on their sister imprint, Boogie Times, before they collaborated with his own label, Hard Disk. This stunning picture disc features some of his rarest releases from Hard Disk, which have never been reissued since their original pressings in the '90s. Together, Duke and Suburban base meticulously planned and remastered these amazing tracks before Duke's unfortunate passing. He was so excited for collectors to enjoy these tunes once again.

MC Duke's unparalleled talent and unwavering dedication to music throughout his life solidified his status as a true legend in the UK music scene. He made significant contributions to UK music, from Hip Hop and Rap to Hardcore and Jungle. Let’s remember the man and his music!

This 4 track EP includes all tracks from The Darkest Knight HARDDISK 004 plus the promo only white label My Sound (HD7) which has sold for as much as £95 on discogs although none have been available for over four years since 2020

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Last In: 2 years ago
16,39 €
Pitch Black - Electronomicon LP 2x12"

2024 Repress

Pitch Black’s “Electronomicon”, a landmark album in New Zealand’s electronica scene, finally gets pressed on vinyl.First released in 2000, “Electronomicon” shows Pitch Black developing their deep dubby sound further by creating long and involved song structures that traverse a range of sonic experiences. The resultant album journeys from organic ambience and layered soundscapes to skanking keyboards, cutting acid riffs and thumping rhythmic grooves, with dub being the glue that holds it all together.

“Electronomicon” reached 28 in the New Zealand album charts and led to a sell-out 30-date tour of New Zealand and Australia. It has since gone on to become one of the duo’s most popular albums, regularly finding new fans around the world.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release, the band dug out the original audio files and Angus McNaughton has remastered them for this vinyl release. Hamish Macaulay has also adapted the original artwork, creating a brand new collage for the centerfold out of pictures taken at the time.

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Last In: 5 years ago
24,79 €
QBass - Hardcore Will Never Die LP 3x12"

The Return of a Legendary track: "Hardcore Will Never Die" - The Remixes

Suburban Base Records proudly presents a timeless classic reborn! The iconic track "Hardcore Will Never Die" by Q-Bass, originally released in 1991, has become a legendary classic in the world of dance music. Its title transformed into a phrase that resonates with fans across the globe. Now, we're about to take you on a journey, reimagining the past and celebrating the future.
Remix Extravaganza: Prepare to be blown away by an extraordinary line-up of remix artists who've put their unique spin on this beloved track. Featuring the talents of Adamski, Dream Frequency, Shades of Rhythm, Leeroy Thornhill (formerly of The Prodigy), Pete Cannon, The Freestylers, Bizzy B, Noise of Art, and the dynamic duo Billy Bunter & Sanxion.

Three-Piece Vinyl Package: We're offering a collector's dream: a three-piece vinyl package that includes the remixed tracks on high-quality vinyl, and to top it off, a stunning picture disc which for the first time ever is adorned with the iconic Suburban Base Records logo full sized across the record. It's not just music; it's a piece of dance music history.
New Comic Strip Sleeve: The adventure continues with an all-new comic strip-style sleeve design by the talented Dave Nodz. Dive into the captivating story of Mr. Smiley, the rave superhero, as he embarks on another chapter.

Get ready to embrace the past, present, and future of hardcore music with "Hardcore Will Never Die - The Remixes." Join us as we pay homage to the legacy of this track and the genre it helped shape. It's more than a release; it's a testament to the enduring power of hardcore.

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Last In: 2 years ago
Senses - Tempus Devorat Omnia

Senses

Tempus Devorat Omnia

12inchCRVT003
Curvature
12.07.2024

A1 - String Theory
Senses arrives on Curvature in epic form, String Theory opening with a memorable pad melody before the track bursts into life with a stunning amen workout - edited and chopped impeccably with finely honed skills from a storied history in drum & bass. A subtly pleasant female vocal graces the track in the breakdown as a cacophony of melodies dance around in the mix, before the amens rip back to the forefront in style.
A2 - Cosmic Telemetry
Continuing a fine exploration of sounds of yesteryear, Cosmic Telemetry showcases a delicately jazzy vibe with breaks that hark back to classics such as Planetary Funk Alert, modernised with an atmospheric twist. Rolling out with a plethora of familiar samples and keys as synths elevate and rise in the backdrop, Cosmic Telemetry is an elegant pastiche for the ears and the dancefloor alike.
AA1 - Papillon
Clean old school breaks introduce Papillon, an earthy track with deep room-filling bass underpinning tight analogue drums, playfully decorated with an assortment of wavy synths, horns and flutes, plinky melodies and delicious female vocal samples in the breakdown before Senses subtly edits the breaks as a voice declares "I'm all yours" to synths pitching up and down at will to great effect.
AA2 - Past Lives
Closing the EP on an intensely atmospheric tip, Past Lives is full of heavily reminiscent rhythms from the classic 90s atmospheric era with sharp drum samples and ethereal synthwork that transport you to a nostalgic dreamscape, seamlessly blending the past and the present with classic 808 basslines and fluid, harmonious strings that perfectly complement the dramatic, all-encompassing padwork.
Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

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Last In: 15 months ago
13,87 €
Pugwash & Prob - Back From Hell / The Tomb

This is the third reissue Underground Music has done for this seminal Jungle label ID Records. This time we bring you one of the rarest of the bunch with ID-2. This was originally released nearly 30 years ago. This groundbreaking label helped to pave the way for a whole host of other artists and labels. 2 tracks of classic Amiga produced Jungle from the 90’s. What’s not to love!

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Last In: 3 years ago
Various - Boogie Times Records - The Album 4x12"

The legendary vinyl emporium BOOGIE TIMES RECORDS home of the seminal label Suburban Base Records and birthplace to careers and labels that have gone on to inspire and influence dance music for several decades.

Anyone that visited felt the energy and creativity. Regulars would spend hours soaking in the atmosphere and picking up the latest essential vinyl. Now this tribute album to this iconic part of rave history is the essential vinyl!

BOOGIE TIMES THE ALBUM – A four piece set of vinyl presented in an incredible gatefold sleeve displaying an artistic rendition of this legendary location, the detail is incredible and instantly will be familiar to anyone that frequented the store. You can see through the window the activity inside, then take a closer look… fold back the gatefold sleeve and you’re inside as you’re instantly transported back to the early 90’s, shopping at Boogie Times, hanging out with Winston Run Tings, Danny Breaks and all the Subbase Crew!

The Boogie Times label was the precursor and sister label to Suburban Base, and here we find some of the rarities and collectible that helped lay the foundation for not only Subbase but emerging genres that followed. Lovingly mastered and resorted 16 tracks, cut across 4 pieces of black vinyl in a format suitable for DJing. And including several alternate and unreleased versions of these classic early works.

This is a stunning collectible piece of rave history, even we are blown away with how great this album looks, it is probably the best packaged project we’ve ever released.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Nia Archives - Silence Is Loud LP

Nia Archives

Silence Is Loud LP

12inch6500353
Island
12.04.2024

Nia Archives is the star at the forefront of the latest era of jungle. Since her emergence in 2020, her collagist soundscapes have helped bring the sound to a new generation of clubgoers (though fair warning: don’t call her a “revivalist” – she’s the first to point out that the scene never went away). So when it comes to talk of the 24-year-old producer, DJ, singer and songwriter’s much-anticipated debut album, the odds are you’re thinking of a full-length record of weightless jungle tracks with basslines so intense they’ll leave your ears ringing.

But the reality of the Bradford-born, Leeds-raised artist’s first ever album – while very much replete with that exquisite jungle sound she does so well – is also doing something a little different. On the thrilling and freeing Silence Is Loud, Nia Archives is looking to make music for beyond the rave. As she explains: “I think music can be experienced in different ways, and there’s different kinds of music for different scenarios. Say you’re at a festival listening to music with thousands of other people, that can feel really uniting. But then you might listen to an album on your own in the bus, or in a taxi; and this project is definitely more a record to sit and listen to than a collection of club tracks.” Nia is intent that Silence Is Loud is taken in as a full body of work of something “more song-focussed, putting interesting sounds on jungle.” It means that this is a record which finds gloomy Britpop, warm Motown, soaring indie, a love for Kings of Leon’s Aha Shake Heartbreak, skittering IDM, Madchester, classic rock, old skool hardcore and more, woven and fused into her ragga and junglist tapestry, all layered with feeling, imbued with her songwriterly lyricism about loneliness, relationships, family, navigating her 20s, and the intense potential power of silence.

The vast sonic palette on Silence Is Loud comes down to Nia’s broad array of influences through her life. With her Jamaican heritage, Nia remembers hearing jungle as a child via her nana, as well as at Bradford Carnival, where she was drawn to the soundsystem culture, dancing carefree on the floats in the parade. The first album she ever bought was Rihanna’s debut, Music of the Sun, and she also went to Pentecostal church back then, and was obsessed with gospel. Aged 16, she moved to Manchester, where she didn’t really know anybody: and so, her solution to meeting people was going out. “Partying was a huge part of my life,” she says, “They used to do little freestyle cyphers at the house parties and I would join in – that’s kind of how I got into singing.” She had found music boring at school, but in meeting all these new people she became interested in making her own music as a hobby. “I was making boom-bap kind of stuff which I didn’t really like in the end,” she laughs, “My lyrics are quite deep, so on a hip-hop beat it all sounds really depressing. I wanted people to dance to my music.” And so she began experimenting with faster tempos alongside that melancholy songwriting, teaching herself how to make beats on Logic: “It’s all been a lot of trial and error, really.”

Nia went to study music in London, and was also interested in visual art, making collages and VHS: “Before the music, I was trying to make a visual archive of my life and the people around me,” she explains, “And then my music was like my diary, and a sonic archive, as well.” Hence, she paired the word “archives” with her middle name, Nia. To this day, in her spare time she’s working on pulling together a documentary on the global nature of the jungle scene.

Back on those first two EPs, Headz Gone West (2021) and Forbidden Feelingz (2022), she honed that junglist sound, painting it with new flecks of colour and vibrance. It was only after she started releasing work that she realised pursuing music could be a viable life path for her. The decision has been paying off ever since. Nia Archives placed third in the prestigious BBC Sound Poll for 2023, alongside garnering a nomination for the Brit Awards’ Rising Star prize, plus wins at the DJ Mag, NME, the MOBOs and Artist and Manager Awards. She has also toured the world – be it North America, Europe or Asia – and even opened a show in London as part of a little something called Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour. She’s renowned as a party-starter in her own right, too, with takeovers at Glastonbury, Warehouse Project and her own Bad Gyalz day event. She’s done official remixes for the likes of Jorja Smith, had a huge summer hit with her Yeah Yeah Yeahs rework ‘Off Wiv Ya Headz’, and worked with brands like Corteiz, Nike, Flannels, Burberry, FIFA and Apple. In just three years, it’s fair to say that Nia Archives has become a need-to-know name in dance music.

But Nia is not interested in being one fixed thing. Building on the terrain from her third EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall, the universe of Silence Is Loud is not totally unfamiliar territory; but it’s still emblematic of a bolder scope than we’ve heard from the artist before. Working with Ethan P. Flynn (the songwriter and producer known for his work with FKA twigs and David Byrne), the resulting record is an impressive feat of deftly-sculpted textures; sometimes big and euphoric, like the wobbly, lusty bass of ‘Forbidden Feelingz’, or elsewhere notably gentle and quiet – see: the gorgeous, surprisingly drumless ‘Silence Is Loud (Reprise)’, a heartfelt number that sits somewhere in the school of Adele. “I really sharpened my songwriting skill on this project,” Nia says, “I was really intentional about what I was writing about, and I really loved co-producing with Ethan. His process is so different to anyone I’ve worked with before, and he’s got a kind of DIY set-up like me.” Flynn’s flat overlooks the Barbican, adding that unquantifiable futurist urban quality that the area holds to the music. The pair enjoyed the collaborative process so much that the album was done within three and a half months.

Perhaps this is why Silence Is Loud maintains an exuberant immediacy while still being sleek and spacious, interspersed with flourishes of metallic beats, lush melody and topped with her sugary but powerful vocal, floating over it all. There is an intimacy to the record, perhaps in part due to Nia writing most of her lyrics while sitting in bed in her flat in Bow (once a bedroom producer, always a bedroom producer). You can hear it on the refrain for lead single ‘Crowded Roomz’, which finds rippling guitar lines cutting taut through the beats as Nia refrains: “I feel so lonely crowded rooms.” The song is an examination of life on tour, constantly surrounded by people, but not necessarily those she can be herself around; more than that, the track is exemplary in the category of sad bangers.

Silence Is Loud often finds itself in that push and pull between melancholy and euphoria. There’s a celebration of her unconditional love for her younger brother (the title track), a rumination of an evening with an Irish boy she met by Temple Bar (‘Cards On The Table), or a letter to herself on the light and airy ‘Unfinished Business’, even coming to terms with a lover having a past they haven’t quite processed yet (“nobody comes with a clean slate”). The latter was recorded the week after a music festival, and accordingly captures Nia’s vocal in its not quite healed, husky state.

Nia’s work is always a snapshot of where she’s at when she’s making it. This might not be the debut album you were expecting, but that’s what makes Silence Is Loud so special. Nia Archives has learned the rules of her sound, and is unafraid to break them, pushing jungle and herself into new, unchartered territories that, in turn, go some way to map the history of the greats of British dance music. More than that, it plants her firmly in that lineage.

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Last In: 16 months ago
28,36 €
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