Video Premiere: MATTERS UNKNOWN (ft. NEONE the Wonderer) “What Are You About?”
Brand new video for your eyes and ears from UK, London based trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist and composer, MATTERS UNKNOWN, the artist project of Nubiyan Twist member, Jonathan Enser.
Fusing jazz, soul and hip hop, “What are you About?” features MC and producer NEONE The Wonderer. The song explores the complexities of being in a toxic relationship, particularly when combined with the challenges of living with chronic pain. Persistent physical discomfort heightens vulnerability to manipulation and coercion, making it harder to maintain personal boundaries. Highlighting the issue of sexual coercion, the song underscores the often-overlooked reality that men can also be victims.
Alongside Enser and NEONE, the track features London dons such as Lyle Barton (Emma-Jean Thackray, Golden Mean, Nubya Garcia, Zara Mcfarlane) on keyboards and synthesisers and Matthew Davies (Golden Mean, Paper Tiger, Noya Rao) on drums.
The song is part of “Silhouettes: A Dream Sphere Journal”. Relased today by Bridge the Gap, it’s a powerful EP that intertwines themes of disability, decolonial thought, and artistic expression. Enser channels their experience of living with chronic pain and the prospect of amputation into a profound narrative of resilience and liberation.
Drawing on African diasporic influences alongside improvisation, rap, classical arrangements, and experimental sounds, the EP challenges societal constraints, redefining the boundaries of both personal and collective freedom.
Developed during Enser’s residency at East London’s renowned Total Refreshment Centre, Silhouettes is both a cathartic creation and a visionary manifesto. Through music, it transcends hardship, questions systemic limitations, and celebrates the transformative power of creativity through a decolonial lens.
