Near Death Experience (NDX) Lean Into Funk and Neo Soul on “shake”
A Genre-Bending Catalogue Track That Keeps Finding New Listeners Across the UK
Built on a loose funk pocket, a warm neo-soul vocal, and a faint psychedelic shimmer, shake finds Near Death Experience (NDX) stepping away from their guitar-rock instincts. Here, the rhythm section leads. Released on 21 March 2025, the single has stayed in rotation well past its debut. It still shows what this UK band can do when they chase feel over volume.
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The Funk and Neo Soul Turn at the Heart of “shake”
shake moves on patience, not force. The low end sits in a funk pocket that leaves space between the beats. The vocal leans closer to neo-soul phrasing than to rock belting. A light psychedelic haze drifts across the arrangement, yet never pulls it off course. For a band whose name suggests something heavier, that restraint is the whole idea. The song trusts its rhythm, and the rhythm carries it.
That blend of neo-soul warmth, funk drive, and a hint of psychedelia gives shake its staying power. It rewards close listening on headphones. It also works as background warmth in a room. Better still, it sidesteps the loud-quiet-loud shape that so much guitar music leans on. The track uses few moving parts, and it leaves each one room to register.
IndieMusic.News curator team: “What keeps pulling us back to shake is how little it strains for effect. The funk is unhurried, the vocal is relaxed, and the psychedelic touches feel earned rather than pasted on. It plays like a rhythm record first, and that is exactly why it keeps rewarding repeat listens.”
Near Death Experience Widen Their Rock Roots on “shake”
Near Death Experience (NDX) are a UK collective. Their core catalogue sits in alternative rock, AOR, and art rock. shake is the moment they widen that frame. Rather than reshape a familiar rock template, the band hands the lead to soul and funk. That is why the single stands a little apart from the rest of their repertoire, while still sounding unmistakably like them.
That restlessness runs through the wider catalogue. Across their releases, the band have touched classic rock, blues, power pop, and retro soul. So a track built on funk and neo-soul reads less as a detour than as another room in a house they have spent years building. shake simply turns the lights up in a corner their heavier material tends to leave dark.
“We’ve been incredibly proud of the journey ‘shake’ has taken since its release in March 2025,” said Ian of Near Death Experience (NDX). “It’s fantastic to see it continue to resonate with listeners and critics alike, becoming a firm part of our established repertoire.”
Who “shake” Is For
If your rotation already holds Prince, shake will feel familiar. It lets funk rhythm and rock instrumentation share one room. Studio colour works as texture rather than spectacle, much as Prince did across his funk-rock hybrids. Fans of Stevie Wonder will recognise the warm, soul-forward phrasing carried by a deep rhythm section. The singing sits inside the arrangement, not above it. NDX count 1960s psychedelic rock and classic soul among their touchstones, and shake is where those threads meet.
This is a track for people who value feel over flash. They like their rock filtered through soul and funk, not served straight. It suits the commute, the late shift, or a slow evening in more than the festival front row. It is aimed at UK listeners, and at the wider audience that seeks out independent acts working off the obvious path.
Where to Hear “shake” and Follow Near Death Experience (NDX)
You can dig into shake and the wider catalogue on Bandcamp and SoundCloud. You can also browse the band’s official store. To keep up with new music and live news, follow Near Death Experience (NDX) on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Since its release, shake has drawn coverage across the independent music press. Write-ups have run at The Big Takeover, Edgar Allan Poets, and Cinematic Giants. That steady run of attention helps explain why the single keeps finding new ears more than a year on.
