released: november 29, 2024

genre: brokenbeat / house

from: london, uk

label: eglo records

a few thoughts: all i’m going to say about the impact of this ep is that it completely transformed the melancholy mood yesterday into a state of pure euphoria and joy, and has done every time i play something from it. last nubian has been making heaters for a while now, including 2023’s babylon shuffle with sweet fruity brunch, and this new project, we celebrate us, may be one of my favourite dance releases of the year so far. from the jazzy and expressive opener “black” featuring achanté is a joyful, colourful and groovy way to open the album out, with an energy that is infectious and so soulful from start to finish. the utterly hypnotic “desolate place (find me)” featuring queen sherine is just so good, with an incredible beat that just carries the groove of the track. it’s an entrancing cut, and one that proper gets me moving. “intertwined cultures” featuring akeem is another heavy cut, with an incredible broken-beat groove with basslines really ripping through my speakers, with a spoken word piece from akeem, who complements the tone and energy poignantly throughout. “haseeb’s interlude” featuring haseeb iqbal is a love letter to london over a jazzy and playful compositions. “desolate place [ancient dub]” is an energetic, house and dub rework of “desolate place” and contains a hypnotic broken-beat rhythm that hits even harder than the original, a frantic and energetic cut that has a bassline that audibly made me go “ouuuuuffff” in public the first time it hit yesterday. tribal, hypnotic, utterly mesmerising. “intertwined cultures” [dub version]” closes the project off with another absolute heater, with heavy broken-beat drumming and basslines that give the track such a rumbling feeling, and with key compositions sprinkled throughout that add to the incredible playfulness of the record. we celebrate us is genuinely one of the most riveting and exciting dance releases i’ve heard in a while, and can’t wait to hear these on dancefloors across london in the very near future.

the project: