Nubiyan Twist

Leeds/London collective Nubiyan Twist is a blend of virtuosic players, skilled producers and inspired composers who joined forces to create a unique, infectious sound drawing on jazz, hip-hop, afrobeat, latin, soul, reggae and dance music - expect ultra-tight musicianship and a powerful 9-piece, big band sound.

The composer, guitarist, percussionist and producer for Nubiyan Twist, Tom Excell, talks further on the latest album, Chasing Shadows: “We wanted to make something that felt joyous and defiantly human — something that couldn’t exist without that connection between people. You can get an AI to write a fugue in seconds, but it can’t capture the chemistry and chaos that happens when musicians lock in together. Chasing Shadows is our way of holding onto that.”

Excell’s productions have made a name for themselves with support from radio DJs such as Giles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, David Rodigan, Craig Charles and Huey Morgan, receiving plays across BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3, BBC 4, BBC 6 and BBC 1Xtra. Excell’s productions have received critical acclaim from publications such as The Guardian, The Independent, Mojo, Clash, BBC Music Magazine, Songlines magazine and Jazzwise.

Freedom Fables was released in 2021 on Strut Records to critical acclaim, and just before the first lockdown, they sold out their entire UK tour. Live, the band’s powerhouse shows have won over audiences across Europe, rocking festival stages including Glastonbury, Wilderness, Love Supreme, Boomtown, and Edinburgh Jazz Festival,  as well as headlining London’s Outernet.

Released in 2024, Find Your Flame embraced the roots of UK sound system culture, taking dynamic turns from the frenetic broken-beat of the title track to reflective lyricism and lo-fi beats, as well as venturing into grime and hip-hop territory. The album features many great artists, including Chic legend Nile Rodgers on the upbeat track, ‘Lights Out’.

Out now, the band’s fifth studio album, Chasing Shadows, is a rich and restless blend of jazz, afrobeat, hip hop and electronic textures, exploring the space between the organic and the digital. It’s music that moves, sweats, and breathes, made by real people in real rooms with heavyweight features bringing together varied voices from the music community which they inhabit.

Nubiyan Twist continue to look outwards with their music but keeps the focus firmly on humanity and positivity. It is an album which crosses continents and which shamelessly celebrates our collective strength.