Forbidden Feelingz

There’s a lot been said about Nia Archives “bringing jungle back,” and she’s definitely done a lot to shine a spotlight on the sound of the underground. But her 2022 EP “Forbidden Feelingz” feels like a natural evolution of jungle, rather than a derivative ode to the past: while she demonstrates a deep love and knowledge for junglist culture, her sound is fresh and super contemporary, mixing fast paced jungle rhythms, drum & bass, and soulful vocals. Her music is excellent, but the part she’s playing in reclaiming the whitewashed electronic music scene is just as important: in 2022 she became the first winner of the MOBOs Best Electronic/Dance music category, after penning a letter earlier in the year calling out the awards for their lack of lack of representation of electronic and dance artists.