Nubiyan Twist: Follow the Guests, Stay for the Band
Nile Rodgers appears on the opening track. That is one way to persuade someone to inspect the credits. Nubiyan Twist have quite a few more introductions waiting.
Their 2024 album Find Your Flame brings twelve tracks together around a nine-piece ensemble led by producer Tom Excell. The band’s account also identifies a significant change: Sheffield-based vocalist Aziza Jaye moving to the forefront.
Start with “Lights Out,” featuring Rodgers, then follow “Carry Me” with Seun Kuti and “Slow Breath” with Mamani Keïta. Those collaborations give you three routes into the album, and three musicians whose work can lead well beyond it.
The ensemble deserves the same attention as the guest list. Horn arrangements, rhythm, production and voices all have jobs to do. Follow how the band makes space for a contributor, then notice what remains recognizable when the guest changes.
Excell describes the album as a document of the members’ shared experiences, including difficult changes and new relationships. That gives the collaborative process a human foundation: the musicians are making something together out of the lives they have been living.
Come for the name you recognize. Stay long enough to learn a few more. Find Your Flame is a useful reminder that a feature credit can be the beginning of a much larger musical conversation.
Explore the official release and listening links.
Official release artwork. Source: Strut Records. Artwork source.