NIA ARCHIVES
Words by Gum, Photography by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr.
Stylist: Gia Seo, Stylist Assist: Aaron Ramey, Makeup: Mollie Gloss, Photo Assistant: Tyler Andrew, Photo Assistant: Emilio Chavez, Production Designer: Fletcher Chancey, Art Assistant: Colin Phelan, Art Assistant: Nick Kozmin
As a Black southerner with family records destroyed long ago, the music is both new and intrinsically familiar. Nobody was listening to jungle on the dairy farms in North Carolina, I promise. Yet over the last five years, the genre has come to mean a lot to me and has defined some of my most important friendships and artist relationships. Bass music and sound system culture represent a commitment to sonic abstraction and resistance, and is deeply connected to the sociopolitical history and spiritual contexts of Black people in the Caribbean and the UK. The increasing popularity of the genre in the American market allows us the opportunity to evaluate its diasporic impact and, as Black artists, compare form, style, and perspective. To be a junglist is to be a steward of this history and culture of sound manipulation.
Nia Archives is an artist that I’m extremely proud of both for her excellent music and her efforts in preserving and progressing the culture of jungle music worldwide. Her MOBO Award for Best Dance/Electronic Act is more than well-deserved, and the release of her debut album, Silence Is Loud, is a milestone in her powerful career thus far. She charts an interesting new course for the sonic aesthetics of the genre by fusing it with Britpop and reimagining its context with visuals and storytelling that aren’t limited to the club-going experience.
We catch each other (virtually) in transit for a conversation that I’ve been looking forward to for a while now. Collapsing the distance from Japan to the UK with the magic of video conferencing, we discuss all things jungle, touring, and the future of raving. After missing her event with Renegade and my close friends Swami Sound and Dazegxd in NYC’s Herbert Von King Park, this interview leaves my FOMO satiated.
Gum: I’ve been excited to ask about your film interests. I resonated with that a lot because my first year at university was at NYU for film, and my film experience has definitely impacted the way that I approach my music and try to conceptualize my albums. Did that play a part at all in the development of Silence Is Loud? And how does it impact your music production overall?
Nia: Yeah, I love visual arts. I think if I didn't do music, I'd probably be a creative director or something like that because I really enjoy building a narrative — exploring a narrative with visuals and different media. Nia Archives was a visual archive and then became a sonic archive. So with the album, I wanted to have really strong imagery that all created this world where the album exists in. We’ve got this bunny logo that my friend made for me, and I was trying to tap into that kind of Aphex Twin heavy logo that's easily recognizable. There were so many references to old magazines from the 90s and a lot of old music videos from The Prodigy. So I think to me, the visual side is probably just as important as the music. Obviously the music is first, but I think visuals are definitely just as important. It's another way to express your artistry and your identity. It's like two different hats.
Gum: Are we going to have a Nia Archives directorial era, making some short films and whatnot? Is that something that you would be open to doing in a larger capacity?
Nia: I'd love to. I think maybe in a few years. I think that'd be really fun. If the opportunity comes to me, I'd love that.
Gum: As far as the imagery of the album, I found the prevalence of the Union Jack flag in the album assets interesting. Can you talk a bit about what that imagery means for you and how it relates to the album?
Nia: The Union Jack was referenced in a lot of punk imagery, and I really love the visual archive of the punk era, especially in the 80s and 90s. There's a little bit of nationalism in there, which is kind of unexpected when you're dual heritage coming from a Caribbean background. I actually saw a tweet the other day about how a lot of American artists actually have a lot of nationalism, like ASAP Rocky with the American flag and stuff like that. Sometimes Brits, especially in this era, might stay away from it, but I think because I was making a lot of Britpop and punky jungle music, I felt like it just made so much sense to have that Union Jack flag imagery in there because it has that punk meaning as well. I thought that would fit in with the energy of jungle, which to me is really rebellious as well.
Gum: I see a slight parallel between rap music and jungle in the sense that I personally feel like it can be very revolutionary and politically intriguing. I feel like I can see it in the underground community very obviously, but a lot of people see the commercialization of the genres and the way social media affects them and they start to feel like the genre has lost its edge, so to speak, or lost its teeth as far as being politically involved. I wonder how you feel about navigating that. Do you think that jungle is still revolutionary? What kind of political meaning do you think your music has for your audience?
Nia: I see it more as rebellious over revolutionary. I feel it's a super rebellious genre and culture, the rave element of it coming from the roots of acid house and the free party era into jungle and raving. It’s rebellious, and it definitely still has that spirit, and there are a lot of young people coming through that I'm really excited about. Obviously where there has been commercialization — it’s kind of already happened. That happened in the 90s as well. You had so many commercial artists making jungle in the 90s. I think it's just the cycle is repeating and where you have people making those commercial tunes, I think sometimes people in the underground get really purist about it. But I think it’s cool because it all brings it back to the original source.
A hardcore junglist might say my music's super watered down. It's not authentic jungle. But then some 18-year-old kid might listen to my music and then go find out about Dillinja and Lemon D, Goldie, all them lots. I think it's all super relative, and I think it's an exciting time because without young people and the new gen, it is not going to continue. It will age out when the original junglists decide they're done with partying or decide they're done with going out to rave and stuff. It's super cool to see people under 25 really getting into the music — people under 30 as well because that's what pushes things forward in my opinion.
Gum: I was never really much of a club-goer or a rave kid at all, really. I don't go to the club much unless I'm going to DJ. So a lot of electronic music for me has been a very in-the-crib experience — hanging out at home by myself listening to dance music. It's been interesting to see this phenomenon develop, especially in the states where third spaces and public spaces in general feel under assault. It’s hard to just chill in public. There's not really any space for young people to hang out without spending a fuck ton of money. Where are these spaces and where can we rave safely and without spending all of our money? Also as black people trying to do the whole rave thing in America, the stakes feel so high, and it feels so dangerous. I think that's kind of what has been pushing everybody back into the bedroom electronic situation. How do you navigate that kind of tension, and is it like this in the UK as well? Do you find yourself contextualizing your music — even though it is rave music — with the isolation that's come from being in this situation that the pandemic has left us in?
Nia: I started this Nia Archives project during the lockdown, so it’s funny because I made this music which was for a club environment in my bedroom, and I still make a lot of my music, write a lot of my songs, in bed. I've come from that bedroom producer background and that's really comfortable for me, which is so weird. I think that's one of the things I like about my music — it’s suitable for loads of different environments. It can go off in the club, but it’s also really nice to listen to in the kitchen or when I'm on a run or if I'm on a plane or in a car, whatever. That's one of the things that I like about jungle in general, not just my music.
I remember I spoke to Goldie about “Inner City Life” and he was like, “People weren't playing that tune in the 90s in the club because it was just too sad. It made everyone cry, and it was more of a listening tune.” People would be like, “This is weird,” and then they'd go and make remixes specifically made for the club. The music is so fast that people think it’s only meant for the club, but I think we are talking about spaces as well. I do notice in America that the rave scene is super different from the UK. It's got such a rich history in creating genres like house music, which basically is the start of everything.
It does feel like there is a bit of a disconnect sometimes in America with the raving culture. Not New York, necessarily. New York, Miami, and San Francisco actually feel really vibey and really similar to what I know. In other spaces in America, it feels really commercialized, and everyone's just wearing neon leotards and that's what it's about. Not in a rude way, but the experience of dressing up to go to a rave rather than [going for] the music and the culture, I think in the UK case, it's the complete opposite. It doesn't actually matter what you're wearing, people just go in a tracksuit. It's not about the look, necessarily. It’s more about the DJs. The people are so snobby about sound systems in the UK. People will be there and be like, “Oh no, this sound is rubbish, we can't do this.”
But I've definitely noticed, obviously in the past couple of years, a lot of venues are struggling. I think we're going through a recession right now. I think a lot of festivals aren't going ahead this year. There's a bit of a shift at the moment in terms of spaces to party. I think it's so important to create these communities that don't rely on such major corporations. Even stuff like relying on social media to connect with an audience or the community. I think this is the time to start thinking about what are the ways around this, and how can we connect easier with people and put on parties that aren't so corporate. I dunno if that makes sense, but that's been on my mind recently.
Gum: What do you think is the biggest difference that you've experienced in the American dance scene versus elsewhere? Conversely, are there any interesting similarities?
Nia: I think it honestly depends place by place because I feel like, for example, New York has so many similarities with London. I feel like I make more sense when I'm in New York than when I'm in London. I feel like I fit in more there. In terms of partying and stuff, I feel like New York is definitely the most ahead city. Then I would have to say San Francisco — they love to have fun in San Francisco — but I think each territory is different. Certain places I'll go, it feels like when I'm playing, it's a real educational moment, and people are like, “What is this music? This is a lot,” but they're getting into it. Or if I go to Australia — I feel way more ahead in my career in Australia than I do in the UK. They love jungle and drum and bass, and they listen to it all day. Each place is different, and it's really fun to see the different crowds and the different levels of excitement in different places for the music.
Gum: Speaking of tour, a lot of independent artists have been talking about how hard it is to tour and how difficult it is. Do you resonate with any of those complaints? How's touring been for you?
Nia: Yeah, I think I'm really blessed. Doing dance music, it's so much easier for me to tour. I don't have the most complex setup, whereas if you're in a band, it's so expensive to tour at the moment. So I feel really blessed that I have that kind of mobility, and that is probably the reason why I've been able to go so many different places. I think for me, touring, I hated it the first year I did it. Just rubbish shows in the middle of the night or fucking graveyard shifts, and it was really tough. I traveled a lot of places on my own, and I didn't like that. I was just super unhealthy on tour last year in the US. I was drinking all the time, eating burgers every day, getting so excited by all the novelty foods and stuff and eating really unhealthy for three weeks and then wondering why I was so depressed because I just literally did not eat a vegetable for a month.
But now I actually really enjoy it because when I'm on tour I only eat salad or sushi. That's my rule. I drink, but I won't drink every day — it’s a weekend thing. I also work out, which is really good for my mental health. I've started bringing my friends with me. My friends came with me to Australia and to America. Bringing my friends makes it feel way more fun. It's not such an intense work focus. I work with a lot of very logical men who are amazing at what they do, but sometimes you need the non-logical chat to make it fun. Bringing my friends on tour has probably been the best thing that I've done in the past six months. I've started making more friends in different places. I'll go to places now, and I'll know people there so I can just hang out with them. I feel very lucky, but I'm really enjoying it at the moment. Don't want to speak too soon, but yeah, so far so good.
"It does feel like there is a bit of a disconnect sometimes in America with the raving culture. Not New York, necessarily. New York, Miami, and San Francisco actually feel really vibey and really similar to what I know. In other spaces in America, it feels really commercialized, and everyone's just wearing neon leotards and that's what it's about."
Gum: How do you see your live performance experience changing in the future, if at all? What would your dream performance situation be?
Nia: I'm changing it slightly this year because I've got more visual aspects, which is super important to me. Really elevated the show this year with the visuals and obviously more album tracks, but then next year will be a bit of a weird year because I won't release any projects. I might release some singles, but it'll probably be a bit different next year. But the year after, honestly, depending on how I do it and the state of the world, I think I can do the live thing. I think there's a lot of chat and pressure for me to do the band because I've done it a few times for one-off things with the BBC. I want to do the band, but I don't want to do it too soon because I think number one, it's really expensive. Number two, I'm 24. At this stage in my life most of my audience is super young. If I was 18, I dunno if I'd want to go see me with a band, or if I want to go see me behind the decks, having a more clubby vibe. So I don't want to take it too quickly and run too fast because where do I go from there? I want to feel like I've got some growth into that. In a year or so, it could be more of a live hybrid where I'm maybe playing some parts, but sometimes I watch people when they do have the live shows and I find it so boring.
I just want to keep it really fun. I don't want it to be me with a keyboard because if I’m focusing on all these things that I need to do, I don't have a chance to have fun with the audience. I want to make sure that whatever I'm doing is still really fun. If I do move into that band space, I want to make sure my audience is ready for it.
Gum: Have you felt a lot of tension between being perceived as a producer/DJ versus songwriter? Do you personally feel any of that tension, and how are you dealing with that right now? How do you want people to perceive your artist project?
Nia: I don't really mind, to be honest. I definitely prefer the producer/DJ label over the singer-songwriter because I feel like I do so much more than just write and sing songs. I feel like I'd rather be known as a producer. To me, that makes me feel a bit cooler, so I'll take that. I guess it'll change as I get older and if I do different things — if I write music for other people or if I do more ghost production and stuff, it might change, but I'm totally open to kind of growing in that space.
Gum: The reception of “Off Wiv Ya Headz” has been so cool. Do you see yourself doing more remixes in the future? Are remixes going to be a big part of your career going forward?
Nia: I've actually just finished a remix literally a couple of days ago for someone who I'm super excited about. My dream, if I could, would probably be to do two or three remixes a year — maybe two, one at the start and one at the end, just because I actually really enjoy doing them. I find it quite fun because the song's already good, and it's just a bit of a jigsaw putting together all these other pieces. I do them for fun anyway. I make loads of edits just for fun. I'd love to keep doing them, and it's a cool way to collaborate with people in place of features because I don’t really do a lot of features at this point. I did a remix with Jorja last year. I've listened to her music for years, so that was super fun to collaborate with her in that way as well. I hope I can keep doing them in the future.
"I definitely prefer the producer/DJ label over the singer-songwriter because I feel like I do so much more than just write and sing songs. I feel like I'd rather be known as a producer."
Gum: One thing that has kind of piqued my interest a bit as far as the reception of jungle in America is — maybe I'm biased. I hate TikTok because I think it's evil, but it has been both really useful and kind of annoying. In my experience working with Daze, on TikTok they refer to jungle as video game music, and they almost solely talk about it in video game references.
Jungle stands out to me as a big Jamaican cultural export and a defining musical product of the Windrush generation. How do you see yourself preserving the culture and the history of jungle music? Do you feel like the whole TikTok-ification of it is a pressing issue? Do you feel a pressure to educate the younger generation or do you trust that the audience will dig for it if they love it?
Nia: When the TikTok jungle thing started, I'd say two years ago, it really used to stress me out. I used to feel really annoyed about it and frustrated. As things have kind of moved since that time, I actually feel so relaxed about it because I think it's a tale as old as time. There's always going to be people that jump on a bandwagon of a sound without having any real connection to that culture or community offline. So I think for me, what's been really encouraging is seeing all these people that really love the music, and they're not labeling it something incorrect. I think sometimes with the TikTok thing, what really frustrated me at the time was more the erasure of these black pioneers who created the sound in the 90s — very street music, working class music — and for people to come online and either claim it as something new that they're doing or completely redefine it and call it breakcore or something is completely wrong.
A lot of those pioneers didn't actually make a lot of money from that music. There wasn't a lot of money in it. So that was my frustration at the time. I think maybe it's as I'm getting older, now I look at it and I think this has happened so many times before. Once I realized that, it really didn't stress me out as much, and I'm excited about what is happening in jungle, specifically offline. I think what's happening online is cool, but it's not real life. What’s happening offline, where there's real community, especially places like Bristol, London, Manchester — there's real community. There's real things happening where people can get together and enjoy the music together. Even the thing we did in New York with Renegade, bringing so many people together to enjoy music, I think that's more what it's about than TikTok hits or whatever.