last nubian & sweet fruity brunch: babylon shuffle
Francisco Espregueira
Yes, yes. Two of our contemporary heroes delivering some delicious avant-gardness together… South London's stellar producer and DJ, Last Nubian, joins forces with Geneva's wizard Sweet Fruity Brunch (also known as Donnie Moustaki) for a thrilling debut on Touching Bass with their collaborative EP, Babylon Shuffle. Featuring six tracks that pulsate with the gritty energy and groove of inner-city London, the release delves into the realms of deep house, broken beat, and dub, showcasing the rich musical heritage at its core.
The title track, “babylon shuffle”, sets the tone with its wiggling, jazz-infused house beats, followed by the anthemic “in da morning”, a bruk anthem featuring the soulful vocals of Achanté. “mango in da parish” lifts us to intergalactic dimensions and we’re gone into the groove while the EP further explores the moody steadiness of “unformidable/call it out” and embraces dub influences bookending the collection. Babylon Shuffle not only solidifies Last Nubian and Sweet Fruity Brunch’s status but also marks the inaugural entry in Touching Bass' 12” riddim packages, encapsulating the eclectic sounds of their beloved South London dancefloor on wax - a tailor-made record for dancefloor euphoria, available on vinyl for tasteful collectors.
“The music was the thing that kept people together, because when the people left Africa to go to Jamaica and the Caribbean all they could bring was their songs”