Roni Size Reprazent have announced a limited UK tour for June 2027, marking 30 years since the release of New Forms, the Mercury Prize-winning album widely regarded as one of the most significant records in electronic music history. The run of live dates will feature special guest support from drum & bass pioneers Fabio & Grooverider at all venues except London.
Released in 1997 on Talkin’ Loud, New Forms arrived as a groundbreaking fusion of electronic production and live musicianship, rooted in the Bristol sound that Roni Size and his collective had been developing throughout the early 1990s. Alongside fellow producers DJ Krust, DJ Die and Suv, Roni Size co-founded Full Cycle Records, building a sound that drew on drum & bass, jazz, soul, hip hop, funk and live instrumentation — setting it apart from the darker jungle emerging from London at the time. Tracks including ‘It’s a Jazz Thing’ brought the collective wider attention, eventually leading to the creation of New Forms.
The album’s 1997 Mercury Music Prize win came against a remarkable shortlist that included Radiohead’s OK Computer, The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land, The Chemical Brothers’ Dig Your Own Hole, Primal Scream’s Vanishing Point and Suede’s Coming Up. New Forms subsequently went platinum and produced enduring tracks including ‘Brown Paper Bag’, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Watching Windows’.
For the 2027 anniversary tour, Roni Size Reprazent will perform as a full live band. Roni Size will lead on keys, joined by Dynamite MC and Onallee on vocals, Si John on bass, live drums and two additional keyboard players. The set will draw on material from New Forms alongside highlights from the wider Reprazent catalogue.
Fabio & Grooverider bring their own considerable history to the bill. Central figures in London’s early jungle scene, the pair built their reputation through the legendary Rage nights at Heaven before reaching broader audiences via radio shows on Kiss FM and BBC Radio 1. Their work as DJs, broadcasters and label heads played a significant role in establishing drum & bass as a genre with lasting cultural reach.
Roni Size addressed the announcement directly, stating: “30 years ago we started something that was never supposed to stand still. Three decades later, the sound is still moving forward. Reprazent are back — 30 years, one legacy, and a whole new journey.”
The June 2027 dates represent a rare opportunity to see New Forms performed live by the musicians behind its creation, alongside two artists who helped shape the broader scene from which it emerged. Full tour dates have not yet been detailed beyond the June 2027 window and the confirmed London and regional UK stops.
Source: Decoded Magazine
