Drum and bass artists and jungle music pioneers Watch The Ride team up with new-gen junglist Nia Archives for ‘Mash Up The Dance,’ out now via Rinse. Co-produced and vocalled by Nia, this instant summertime classic is an intergenerational banger about mashing up the dance and creating chaos in the rave.
Directed by Geeneus (Rinse FM founder) and Nia Archives, dropping alongside the track is a lo-fi DIY style video that visually pays homage to Rinse FM and the story of pirate radio. Picturing a young Gee and Nia existing together at the same time, shots of them together are interspersed with never before seen archival footage of Rinse in the early days, Nia travelling to Bristol and creating with Watch The Ride, culminating in different performance shots of Nia in the rave and on a rooftop in Bow where Rinse was founded.
Speaking on the collaboration, Watch The Ride say: “The track’s creation was really natural, sometimes everything just clicks in the session and this was one of those moments. Linking with Nia felt great as she represents another branch on the tree from which we all belong to. The cherry on the top is releasing the record via Rinse, it just feels authentic as it’s represented our culture so well for so long.”
Nia Archives adds: “Was so gassed to make this one with Die, Randall and Dismantle and be part of the Watch The Ride family. Have seen this one going off in my sets for a minute now and I know it’s gonna mash up dance for the summer of jungle.”
A dance supergroup comprised of electronic music pioneers Randall, DJ Die, and Dismantle, Watch The Ride showcase UK’s rave culture heritage with a contemporary feel via cutting-edge productions and electrifying live performances. Debuting in 2020 with ‘Original Format,‘ a collaboration with the legendary UK rapper D Double E upon release, the track instantly became the sound of the summer- an anthem in clubs and festivals garnering support from a diverse range of DJs such as Andy C, Goldie, Annie Mac, Sherelle, Alix Perez, Gilles Peterson and more.
The track was also featured on Grand Theft Auto, handpicked by Danny Brown for his radio station. The trio has since collaborated with exciting artists Nia Archives, Inja, Trigga & Emz whilst also partnering with UK powerhouse Rinse began which saw landmark releases such as ‘That’s Da Shit’ and ‘Road Runner,’ both singles capturing the imagination of DJs and listeners from across the BPM spectrum and a popular radio residency.
Bradford born now London-based, Nia Archives is one of the most exciting and compelling new artists in the UK. Representing her Jamaican roots, nodding to and crediting the rich history of jungle music; her euphoria-inducing, club-ready productions peppered with cathartic and honest lyrics about her life and experiences on recent EP ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ have taken the country by storm.
In 2022 alone, Nia has won the NME Bandlab Award for Best Producer, been hotly tipped by The Face, Mixmag, BBC Radio 1 Dance as a ‘Future Star,’ Spotify as their Our Generation cover star, and made cover debut on one of the worlds most prestigious dance music publications, Mixmag. Following a year of touring some of the UK’s most prestigious clubs and festivals such as Fabric, Boiler Room, City Splash, Manchester International Festival, and more, Nia Archives has been given the seal of approval from tastemakers across the board from British Vogue, Pitchfork, The Fader, i-D, and Crack.
Making soft-hearted, cutting edge lo-fi jungle for introverted extroverts, in 2021 the 22-year-old Nia Archives unveiled her debut EP ‘Headz Gone West.’ Spanning 5-tracks including her hypnotic and escapist debut single ‘Sober Feels’ and title track ‘Headz Gone West,’ Nia’s music has been supported by the likes of The Independent, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Complex, Clash, and more, and has led her to collaborate with Congo Natty on a remix of Lava La Rue’s ‘Magpie.’