Nubiyan Twist

Leeds/London collective Nubiyan Twist blend hip-hop, jazz, soul and afrobeat in a fresh new way. Their album 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. They’re a brilliant festival band, have gathered great crowds at Glastonbury, Wilderness, and just about every UK music festival there is.

The composer, guitarist, percussionist and producer for Nubiyan Twist, Tom Excell, talks further on the Freedom Fables: “Freedom Fables reflects on the power of narratives. Each vocalist on this record explores their own memoirs, a freedom of expression underpinning our belief that music is the ultimate narrative for unity," explains Tom Excell. “The record references a lot of music that we all loved during our formative years; you can hear touches of broken beat, blunted hip hop, highlife, Latin, jazz and UK soul running through the tracks."

Excell’s productions have made a name for themselves with support from radio DJ’s 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.