Nukuluk
South London experimental hip-hop collective, Nukuluk, share brand new single ‘Covered In Gold’, accompanied by the official music video. The track is out now on all streaming platforms.
The boundary-pushing collective return with their first release in over a year, ‘Covered in Gold’, a cautionary tale about unreliable appearances and the vanity of the pursuit of riches, success and gold. As the collective produces together as a unit, each song brings different techniques to the foreground, from resampling to analogue synthesis and harmonic layering. ‘Covered In Gold’, primarily produced by olivia with additional production from Louis and Syd is an ambitious digi-pop rap anthem. Intersecting SOPHIE and Danny Brown production styles, Monika's vocal performance, leftfield sound-design breakdown, and typical unique song structure, the track is a masterclass in deft musicianship with that unmistakable Nukuluk sound.
Accompanied by the official music video self-directed by Nukuluk members Mateo and olivia, alongside long term collaborator Mike Raymond, they explain: “It draws on the themes of exploration, awe and the mythic; originally rooted in a desire to play with folkloric children’s stories it evolved into a story of a wandering, lonesome figure.” Yet, due to its fairytale nature, it allows itself to be playful, colorful and out of proportion in its structure and delivery.
Nukuluk – made up of Monika, Syd, Mateo, Louis and olivia – are a 5-piece multi-hyphenate multimedia collective spanning many facets of the music and artistic field as filmmakers, visual artists, sound designers and musicians. Formed in the midst of lockdown, the collective played their first show in July ‘21 before releasing their debut EP ‘DISASTER POP’ to critical acclaim in November ‘21. Their release campaign was littered with videos and creative visuals that were created by the collective and its extended family of artists - this multifaceted creative output of the group making them a unique prospect; directing and producing their own videos, exploring many avenues of creation and trying to exist in a unique contemporary DIY space. Following the success of their debut EP and touring schedule – performing at Reading and Leeds Festival, Pitchfork London, Pitchfork Avant-Garde Paris, End Of The Road, Visions, DIY Alive, The Great Escape, Mutations, Left Of The Dial and a residency at Bermondsey Social Club – the band have amassed fans far and wide with their unique blend of leftfield pop.
Drawing narrative and textural inspiration from artists who challenge the norm and create their own art; they successfully blend genres and styles to reach new spaces through a broad range of influences (including JPEGMAFIA, Jockstrap, SOPHIE, Wu-Lu and Yves Tumor as well as groups like Massive Attack, Portishead and Gorillaz). With a mutual desire to exist symbiotically, each member of the collective has the same goal of building each other up rather than pushing for the front whilst learning each others nuances, as the band muse: “With the speed of which the project grew, we ran into some conflict and disagreements with one another.”
The ethos is heavily that of a collective vision and not that of a singular, with a core value of expanding the Nukuluk playground. “Releasing and performing music is about giving ourselves room to express, play and be creative, and not forcing ourselves to obey one genre expands that.” Creating a visual universe that they have control over has become a pillar of the collective’s identity and has been repeatedly referred to in the media and by fans. With nods across the spectrum of the music media including coverage from the Quietus, CLASH, NME, Ransom Note, DIY, DORK, So Young and many more, there’s no telling where this band will go next.
