Nia Archives: "Jungle Music Is My Therapy"

Nia shuffles through the records as we chat and I can’t help but nervously giggle at her every word. After picking out a few gifts for friends back home, she merrily thanks the shopkeeper on our way out, excitedly reciting some Japanese she’s just learned. We wander through the maze of Omoide Yokochō, down tight alleyways filled with izakayas and paper lanterns, talking our heads off as we weave through the eternal crowd. She smiles as I ask questions and her grills gleam in the streetlight.

Nia is the person at the epicentre of an earth-shaking jungle music revival right now. In the space of three years she’s dropped three monumental EPs that’ve blended fast beats with everything from jazz to samba to neo-soul. Now, she’s here for a mini tour of Asia – taking on Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore. “[Jungle music is] my therapy, it’s the only thing I can do, so I just do whatever I can do to make it happen,” she tells VICE.

The timing of her visit to Tokyo couldn’t be more perfect: Japan’s youth culture is currently in the midst of its own jungle revival, and the sound is starting to dominate the city’s underground parties and club scene. “I’m here to learn,” says Nia, leaning on the darkened walls of the designated smoking room in the kissaten we stop at for a drink. We order highballs (she tells me they’re her new location-specific drink of choice) and begin a conversation about anime, being introverted and what to expect from her hotly-awaited debut album.

VICE: Hey Nia, so you just came back from Osaka after performing at Circus Osaka last night. How was it?
Nia Archives: It was really cool – a very different vibe from Tokyo, but everybody was very rowdy and jumping up and down. It was a proper sweatbox. I played in Tokyo on Friday, and that was super fun as well. I like it because it’s a crazy big city, and I’ve never been here, so everything is just like, “Wow!”

This is your first time in Japan, right?
Yeah, it’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to come since I was a child, because we used to watch anime and stuff like that in our house growing up. It’s just so cool. I mean, everything you need is here – the fashion, the food.

Talking about anime, what’s your favourite?
I like Princess Mononoke, classic, for the girls. We used to watch Akira quite a lot, and Cowboy Bebop – I love the soundtrack on that series. What else did we watch… So much stuff, obviously Studio Ghibli. But I think my favourite is Princess Mononoke, just because I used to watch it so much as a child.

Oh, my favourite of Studio Ghibli’s is Spirited Away.
Oh my god, yes. My brother and I used to watch it religiously. I didn’t wanna say it because I was like, is it too on the nose? It’s one of the best.

We were talking earlier about how you met Goldie, opened for Beyoncé and now you’re on a tour of Asia. How does it feel to go through all this in such a short space of time?
It’s so surreal. There’s going to be a point soon where I’ll have to sit down and process the past 12 months of my life. I feel very grateful, very blessed – like I’m just living the dream. I’m happy even just being here. I’m looking around [at Tokyo] and it’s so cool being able to do this through music, through something I love.

Yeah, it’s been so fast-paced for you for the past few years. How are you coping with your growing fame?
Oh, I don’t really think I’m famous to be honest. I mean, I personally don’t see it. I feel like I’m quite good at having a bit of a balance. My friends quite like what I do but they’re not that interested, so that definitely humbles a person. I have a little brother who constantly roasts me, so that’s very humbling, too. I think just being really grateful for what I do helps me with my headspace, and that’s how I deal with it.

What you’re doing is phenomenal. That’s why I’m a little starstruck right now.
Oh, you shouldn’t be! I loved what you said earlier about how your dad listens to jungle now through me, and you’re listening to it too. I love that something like jungle can bring people together. At the shows in Tokyo and Osaka, there were young girls in the crowd, which I love to see. I love seeing young women taking up space and dancing. There were young guys and also older guys – who I’m guessing were the original junglists – but it’s just cool to see the fusion of ages, people, backgrounds and styles. It’s also cool that jungle is quite massive here. Obviously, we’ve got people like Stones Taro, who’s one of my favourite Japanese producers, so it’s pretty cool to see a scene emerging and I hope to keep building it with you guys.

There’s definitely a scene coming up. What have been your favourite live performances?
Glastonbury – if you ever get the chance to go, I would say absolutely do it. It’s my favourite festival in the entire world. My “Up Ya Archives” parties too – I always book my friends to play. I did an rave just for girls and non-binary folk, and it was such good vibes. It was an all-women lineup too, which was incredible. I think it’s quite rare that people go to parties where it’s women on the lineup, women invited, and non-binary queer folks as well. It was something I’d wanted to do for a long time, and it was really wholesome.

Let’s not forget about your MOBO Award, either. Didn’t you write a letter to the MOBO Awards asking them to create a new award category for electronic and dance, and they did, and then you won? That was crazy.
I know, I thought I’d get blacklisted because sometimes when you call people out on their actions, it comes with a bit of defensiveness, but they took my message on board and actually created the category. All I really wanted was a category for Black people like myself, but also younger generations, to have something to aspire to. But I wasn’t expecting to win, because there were so many amazing people nominated: Eliza Rose and Sherelle, who’s a really good friend of mine. I love Sherelle, she’s done so much for the jungle and dance community, but also for Black women. She’s a queer woman, and she’s done so much in terms of activism for music.

On the topic of heritage, actually, you’re mixed-race and I’m Lebanese-Japanese, but grew up in Canada. I think becoming an adult as someone who’s mixed-race, you start grieving for a lot of the culture you didn’t get to experience. I know you went to Jamaica recently, and I wondered if you relate to that feeling?
Yeah, I went to Jamaica for the first time in February and it was just so nice to see where I’m from, where my people are from. I love British culture, but I feel like I connected with my Jamaican side a lot more than my English one. But I do love the English music culture. It’s nice to connect to where you’re from originally. I grew up in an area where there weren’t many Jamaican people. At school, I was one of the very few Black people, so that caused a bit of an identity crisis growing up. I didn’t really like that part of myself, but then I grew up and now I’m very proud of who I am, where I’m from and my culture. So I feel like when you grow up in a space where there aren’t people that look like you, you kinda feel unsure about yourself. But then that’s part of the self-love journey, I guess – it’s just self-acceptance, that’s all you can do.

Would you consider yourself an introvert?
Do you know what? I am kind, to be honest. I was a very shy child. I’ve only really become confident in the last 18 months. When I met my manager, I couldn’t even make eye contact with him, I was so shy. It’s bad, but it’s true. Now, I’m a bit more confident because I’ve travelled and met different people.

Yeah, my cousin always says that going through uncomfortable situations is what makes you confident.
Yeah, it pushes you out of your comfort zone. A lot of my friends are extroverted. I’ve got some friends in Japan now, and this T-shirt [ I’m wearing] is from their brand, Emporium. They’re from Ireland and they’ve just come here because they’ve got some stockists in Japan. They’re super extroverted and I’m kind of introverted, but when I’m with them the extroverted in me comes out. So with certain people I end up matching them.

I’ll check them out. Do you think Japan has inspired you to make new music?
Yeah, for sure. I’m actually in the middle of writing my first album. I’m 25 minutes in, so I maybe have four more songs to write, and then it’s finished. But travelling to new places, meeting new people with different worldviews and new perspectives, that’s always inspiring for art. You have to live life to have something to talk about. I can’t make music if I haven't got anything to reflect on, so when I get home I'm going to have a lot to talk about. Even just being here is very inspiring.

You have a great way of putting these sad lyrics over music that bumps. It’s not something we see a lot in the dance scene and I feel like, in a way, you’re starting something new.
Thank you. I like it because I’m quite an emotional person and I really like to hide that. So it just feels too exposing, singing such sad songs with sad music. That’s why I like jungle because it's super energetic, super uplifting. It makes you feel good, but the lyrics can be real and true to my life. It’s definitely intentional.

Not to be cheesy, but do you feel like your childhood dreams have come true?
Oh, for sure – I mean, even just being in Tokyo. I was voice-noting my brother yesterday like, “Oh I’m in Japan by the way!” I feel like people where I’m from don’t always get the opportunity to come to places like this, or even do what I do. I just feel immense gratitude and pride. Obviously, there are ups and downs in life, it’s not always perfect, but when you deep it, I’m very grateful to be able to do what I love every day and see new places.

Do you feel like you're talking to your inner child when you make music?
Definitely. I feel like I’m talking to my past self, present self, and future self – there’s a lot of self-chat. I get really embarrassed listening to my new music in front of people because this is a diary and they’re hearing exactly what I’m thinking. But once I put it out, I don’t really feel that way because I’ve listened to it a thousand times and I’m ready to let go. It’s a physical release, a musical release, an emotional release – like a goodbye.

What’s coming next, then?
Related to Japan, I’d love to play Summer Sonic next year – I’m manifesting, so fingers crossed. I want to keep on travelling, put my album out, and take my brother travelling. That would be lovely.

I’ll be manifesting for you too.

@exitnumberfive