Woody Cook and Zed Bias team up on Afters, bringing UK garage, reggae and late-night festival sessions together on their new collaboration

After a run of back-to-back sets at Glastonbury Festival and a church-turned-afterparty in Brighton, Woody Cook and Zed Bias have taken that chemistry into the studio with Afters. Released through Truth Tribe, the new single also features Jonny Dutch and Bristol-based vocalist Aloka, bringing UK garage and reggae influences together through a two-step production. The track follows several years of friendship between Woody Cook and Zed Bias, with their recent performances helping turn that connection into a full collaboration.

From Glastonbury B2Bs to Afters

The idea behind Afters grew from time Woody Cook and Zed Bias had already spent playing together. Their back-to-back appearances included Glastonbury Festival as well as a Lab 54 afterparty held inside a converted church in Brighton, giving the pair a chance to explore their shared taste before taking it into the studio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Their relationship, however, began years earlier. Woody Cook has described Zed Bias as a mentor, while the UK garage pioneer has long held an important place in British dance music through records such as Neighbourhood. Released in 2000, the track became one of the best-known records associated with the genre and helped establish Zed Bias as a major influence on the UK garage sound that followed.

For Woody Cook, the collaboration comes after a busy summer that included appearances at Hï Ibiza, Snowbombing, Ministry of Sound and Glastonbury’s Arcadia. His recent work with Fish56Octagon and Jonny Dutch also pushed his production further into focus, with Afters now continuing that side of his career alongside his DJ schedule.

UK Garage and Reggae Meet on Afters

At the centre of Afters is a skippy two-step rhythm supported by a deep low end, drawing directly from Zed Bias’ background in UK garage. Reggae influences run through the track as well, giving the production a warmer edge while keeping its late-night club character intact.

Jonny Dutch, a founding member of The Manor and one half of Dutch & Graft, adds another voice to the collaboration. Aloka completes the track with vocals shaped by her background in neo-soul, dub and jazz, after first meeting Woody Cook at Glastonbury.

That meeting became another part of the track’s festival connection, with Woody Cook describing the pair as “kindred spirits at first sight.” Together, the four artists turn those separate relationships into a single release rooted in UK garage while pulling in reggae, soul and dub influences around it.

Woody Cook and Zed Bias Release Afters Through Truth Tribe

Afters is released through Woody Cook’s Truth Tribe label and follows the direction he has been developing through both his DJ sets and recent studio work. For Zed Bias, it adds another collaboration to a career closely connected with the evolution of UK garage, while Jonny Dutch and Aloka bring their own backgrounds into the final record.

The track is out now and available to stream here, bringing together a collaboration that began through friendship, late-night sets and repeated meetings around Glastonbury before finally making its way into the studio.