Blipsters (black hipsters) are all the rage in New York right now, but there's a new tribe of race-bending trendsetters taking over. Blipsters beware. Blavers (black ravers) OWN London's new/nu rave scene right now. East London, the epicentre of nu rave, is home to big black communities and so racial mixing was inevitable. Soon enough the neon-clad, glitter-faced, MDMA-fuelled parties became a melting pot of all creeds. Nu blave was born...
Before we even knew who he was, we knew MC Niyi (see interview below) was a total DO. His joint "London" has become a nu blave anthem.
The Coconut Twins are nu blave's pin-up girls.
Check out Super Super, the blaver style bible.
Ebony Bones is like a nu blave Grace Jones. Check out her jam "Don't Fart on My Heart."
It's all about the future, from its fashion to its view of a racially tolerant tomorrow.
** See previous Vice articles on Blazis (Black Nazis) and Makinheads (Malaysian skinheads)
INTERVIEW - NIYI:
VICE: Your EP just landed on my desk. It's H-O-T.
Niyi: Cheers!!!!!!!
What inspires you?
I'm not sure if it's cartoons or porn. I know it's not very PC to say this, but I absolutely love obviousness and I love stereotypes even more. When I see a baddie on TV, I want him to be big, scary and have like massive frowny eyebrows. In my music I like to put massively obvious things that shouldn't be together, in the same song.
The nu rave scene is very mixed in terms of race and sexuality. Why do you think that is?
I think it is developing into something else. Maybe the Klaxons are the rave bit. I'd like to think of us as something a bit new.
Is it okay to describe black nu ravers as nu blavers?
Yeah. And the gays could be Quavers.
You're riding the crest of the nu blave wave. Is there anything you're pissed off about?
My friend Namalee! She won't give me my strawberry jumper back. It looks like a strawberry!!!
OK, well, good luck with that. Bye!
Bye.
DOM TUNON
haha - too funny
Posted by: blinhead | 19/02/2007 at 17:14
That first picture was ripped from a London music magazine article about New Rave, Jesus Guys get a fucking grip
Posted by: Kim | 19/02/2007 at 18:16
sorry to correct you, but that first pic is actually the cover to Niyi's new EP.
Posted by: hey KIM! | 19/02/2007 at 18:39
vice is really great and all, but this is total dogshit! bet pingu would love this stuff! anyway keep up the good work!
Posted by: rob away | 19/02/2007 at 18:49
ugh. ok. have they at least stopped using the cheesy voice samples in rave music.that shit is the lamest form of electronic music ever.
Posted by: . | 19/02/2007 at 19:04
I <3 Blaxons
Posted by: blaxon | 19/02/2007 at 21:20
I want to fuck everyone in that group photo. And I love how all the links are to someone's Myspace profile. Suck it Live Journal!
Posted by: Dorian | 19/02/2007 at 21:50
Black people hang out with white people in London, that's how it works, nothing new. I'm sure it might be a novelty to some but these scenes aren't particularly about black or white. I'm not saying it isn't an issue AT ALL just that it's how it's been for years now. We just one big meltin' pot baby, ebony and ivory, colour-blind, nah, fuck it, just kiddin', eveyone's prob just too drunk to notice INNIT.
Posted by: | 19/02/2007 at 22:45
But I heard last week on http://bigbignews.net that 'Bluppies' (black yuppies) were the hot new thang...no?!
Posted by: Heywood | 20/02/2007 at 00:32
so to be racially tolerant you have to dress like a fucking optical illusion?
Posted by: boomboombang | 20/02/2007 at 00:42
so to be racially tolerant you have to dress like a fucking optical illusion?
Posted by: bengootscar | 20/02/2007 at 00:43
THIS IS A JOKE GUYS!
Posted by: Satire | 20/02/2007 at 14:05
Some black dudes from the midwest put out the first *techno* records, and gay black dudes created House music, so it's not all that weird that they be associated with rave shit. Although I don't see much of a correlation between raves and "nu rave" besides the name. Nu Rave is just the latest bandwagon musical genre, thanks to NME.
Posted by: namey | 20/02/2007 at 20:35
I wanna fuck that EBONY BONES sooo bad! Wish she'd come to New York..
Posted by: John John | 20/02/2007 at 22:07
To the the clown who was chattin bare fraff about black chaps in the Mid West putting out the first Techno records. No, you cock smoker.
Step away from my internet.
http://www.myspace.com/judasbeast
Posted by: Judas Beast | 20/02/2007 at 23:24
Heard she's coming to NY! Ebony Bones gets boned (Bronx style)Mmm..
Posted by: karlp | 21/02/2007 at 00:10
black yuppies are BUPPIES
not "bluppies"
take note, fools
Posted by: yorkie | 21/02/2007 at 00:31
This isn't actually happening.
It can't be.
It's almost like Chris Morris and Armando Iannuci are prophets and the stupid future they envisioned has come true.
For once I'm actually glad I live in Glasgow where people who dress like this get stabbed.
Posted by: No | 21/02/2007 at 03:39
I think i saw these guys on Cliff Yablonski like 3 years ago... meh, old news
Posted by: appleton rules | 21/02/2007 at 04:09
Black people wow! I didn't know they could be into anything but hip-hop, reggae and grime. All this sort of article does is turn race into a human zoo.
Posted by: akello | 21/02/2007 at 10:06
are black people in this week then?
Posted by: akello | 21/02/2007 at 10:07
NIYI is wack...i just heard this so called banger of a dubplate, and it sounds like Just Jack on seratonin. JME serious, get to know.
Posted by: slimzee | 21/02/2007 at 10:10
NIYI is wack? 'JME serious' ? FIRSTLY, learn to speak English. SECONDLY, if you are comparing these two, then you just don't get it. I expect to see NIYI doing pretty well this year....
Posted by: henchzee | 21/02/2007 at 10:59
for fuck sake.. nu rave is done. in london that shit is played out... catch up please!
nu rave is old fuckin news!
move on!
Posted by: ...london calling... | 21/02/2007 at 12:54
Ha! Ha! NU RAVE IS SOOOOOOOOO OVER!! The Klaxons said it themselves. The only person iv ever heard of on that list is Ebony Bones - who we saw play in Manchester. Fucking AMAZING. A*
Posted by: Rallie78 | 21/02/2007 at 15:58