Having just released their latest single (Dancing Inna London feat. Supercat), ten-piece music collective, Nubiyan Twist, took to the stage at The Haunt on Wednesday night (April 12th) to fulfil the Brighton leg of their current tour. They treated us to an immaculate yet enlivening performance, packed with hypnotic arrangements, seductive jazz, digital effects and a whole host more. Striking the perfect balance between showcasing new material and playing old favourites, they captivated every person in the room.

Complete with a four-piece brass section, live dubs, intricate guitar licks, stunning vocals and playful keys (the list could go on), the Leeds/London based group completely defy categorisation, taking you on a genre-bending adventure from start to finish. What starts off as a jazz number will quickly and smoothly transition into hip-hop, latin, afro-beat or dub before you’ve even had a chance to change your samba routine into a skank.

Showcasing their dynamism even further, Nubiya Brandon, the group’s graceful yet powerful lead vocalist would, with admirable ease, switch between soulful verses and gritty spoken-word, as her fellow musicians effortlessly traded percussion for vocals, saxophones for flutes and guitars for live electronics. From start to finish, the energy of the entire band was infectious and their lively grooves and seamless arrangements induced vigorous dancing at all times – with not even a single awkward shuffle in sight!

But aside from their enchanting vibrancy, perhaps one of the best thing about Nubiyan Twist is that they are by no means a singer with a band but a group of musicians who function exceptionally as a collective whilst also showcasing their individual talents in equal measure. Perhaps one of the only drawbacks of the entire gig was that an unfortunately placed pillar at the side of the stage obscured a few of the musicians from view. Sadly, this meant that when keyboard player, Ollie Cadman embarked upon perhaps one of the most playful and entrancing jazz solos I’ve yet to encounter, I couldn’t quite see what he was doing.

But the music spoke for itself and one only had to glance at the mesmerised yet faintly baffled faces of his fellow band-members to appreciate the level of musical flare being exhibited. For their final song, Nubiya took a back-seat as Pilo Adami picked up his guitar and stepped up to the mic, to front an electric, latin-inspired number that was the perfect last hurrah.

Unfortunately, though, they had a curfew so when the clock struck ten they promptly scuttled off leaving us all staring wistfully at the empty stage wishing they would play just one more song...