So UK: My Nu Leng

The tour was a strange experience: one day they’d be in Vegas, gambling at a private table with Ed Sheeran, the next they’d be playing at a club with a partition down the middle of the dancefloor to separate the under-21s. But it also opened their eyes to what’s possible when you put the work in. “It’s not all glitz and glamour,” says Jammo. “The Rudimental guys would be partying with us, then they’d be up at 9am for press commitments. They had a studio bus that toured with them where they’d be writing their second album. It was just mad.”

Back home, My Nu Leng get a different kind of thrill. When they first moved to Bristol six years ago they were intimidated by its musical heritage, from titans of trip hop and drum ’n’ bass like Massive Attack and Roni Size to pioneering dubstep labels like Tectonic. Now, they’re just as much a part of the city’s fabric, collaborating with heroes like new-school dubstep figurehead, Kahn. “That’s what we love about Bristol – everyone’s got each other’s backs,” Tommy says. Jammo nods in agreement. “It means so much for us to be accepted there.”

The duo’s latest project is their Fabriclive mix, a love letter to the UK club scene in which they made their name. Fabric means a lot to them: Jammo reminisces about his formative years in the club, “walking around in a daze, sitting on the stairs gassing to people,” while Tommy gushes over Fabriclive mixes by Andy C, DJ Hype, and Caspa & Rusko that shaped his own tastes. “That’s what it’s all about: defining moments in the UK underground,” Jammo says.

Though they live apart now, Tommy and Jammo still see each other almost every day, whether it’s to go to the studio or play a gig. But does that closeness ever cause friction? Tommy mulls the question over for a second. “You know what? We’ve known each other for so long now that if one of us is in a mood, you can tell.” Jammo concurs. “You properly can, so you don’t even go there. And when we see each other again, it’s not even a thing.”

That close friendship brings us back to those tattoos. Tommy drew them up one morning before the Love Saves The Day festival in Bristol, and they got them done later that day. They both read ‘My Nu Leng’. “It’s a length-of-life kind of vibe,” Jammo says. “If it doesn’t work out in five years’ time, at least we can look at them and say: yeah, those were fucking amazing years.”

Fabriclive 86 mixed by My Nu Leng is out now