Following a sold-out Secret Summer Rave, Notting Hill Carnival headline slot and latest single ‘No Time’ with Clipz, Beenie Man, ShaSimone, and Cristale and a huge win at the AIM Awards in the “One To Watch” category earlier this week, new gen junglist and inimitable rising star Nia Archives returns with her first solo single since her breakout EP ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ in March called ‘Baianá.’
Sampling the traditional Brazilian choir Barbatuques, this instrumental euphoric club track has been a staple of Nia’s sets all over the world this summer from All Points East to Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Rio De Janeiro, and Australia where she is currently on tour with fans eagerly IDing and awaiting its release.
Alongside the track, Nia Archives takes us on a whirlwind trip to Brazil in an incredible video co-directed by herself and her long-time friend and collaborator, Delphino. Shot earlier this month in the country’s most famous city, Rio De Janeiro, in her trademark fast-paced, lo-fi VHS docu-style aesthetic, we see the city through Nia’s lens, from epic views of Christ the Redeemer, a dip in the waters of the Copacabana, football in the Rocina favela with some local kids and crate digging for some rare Samba, Bossa Nova and Baile funk. An artist becoming known for her unique style and attention to detail as much as her cutting-edge productions, everything from the Brazil manicure to the ‘Baianá’ grill is given its moment in this soon-to-be classic Nia Archives video.
Speaking on the creation on track, Nia says: “I’ve always been a massive fan of Samba Music, Bossa Nova Music, and Brazilian culture and had been a fan of the Barbatuques for a while. When I was looking through my samba / bossa playlist and thinking about songs to sample, ‘Baianá’ was the one that stood out for me. When I started making it, the original version was quite bouncy which I wanted to make harder… so I flipped it into this crazy amen break roller with a Reese bass line. I feel like this one really showcases my work and style as a producer.”