British sensation Nia Archive quickly became one of the most promising faces of jungle’s recent revival. Her latest single and music video “Baianá” gives the electronic genre a Brazilian makeover.
22-year-old DJ, producer, singer and songwriter Nia Archives is at the forefront of jungle’s renaissance. Growing up on reggae, bashment and lovers rock in Manchester, she became nostalgic of an era she didn’t live through, listening to jungle icons like Roni Size, Shy FX and DJ Storm. In 2021, her debut EP “Headz Gone West” got the attention of the genre’s die-hard fans and new listeners. Her 2022 sophomore project “Forbidden Feelingz” solidified her trailblazer status. It also made her the NME Awards’ Best Producer recipient. Now, Nia Archives is taking the 1990’s UK rave genre around the world. Her latest release “Baianá” is the perfect mix of jungle and Brazilian samba, bossa nova and baile funk.
This hypnotic, super-energized new single samples the eponym hit from 2005 body percussionist group Barbatuques. A rhythmic, trippy samba track, derived itself from a modern Baiano folk song. Though the song’s been sampled and remixed many times, Nia Archives put her own unique spin on it: BPM’s upped to the max, deep basslines and entrancing loops. In short, “Baianá” is the perfect song to rave to and a great demonstration of Archives’ production skills. A promising first single as she’s announced that the third project is already on the way.
The accompanying visuals were directed by Nia Archive herself and Delphino in Rio de Janeiro. The grainy, homemade-like images showcase Nia’s own cool kids version of the iconic Brazilian city : crammed vinyl shops, graffiti-filled walls, impromptu football matches and most importantly dancers moving to high tempos, with Rio’s landscapes in the background. She’s even rocking flashy Brazilian-flag nail art and a gold grillz on her teeth, simply reading “Baianá”.
Listen to “Baianá” on our Song of the Week playlist.
