REVIEW: NOWHERE2RUN - What Did You Do?

For anyone still reeling from the aftermath of CODE ORANGE's now-legendary Download Festival set and their shocking subsequent announcement of an indefinite hiatus, the emergence of NOWHERE2RUN feels less like a footnote or epitaph for that band and more like a natural mutation of the sonic evolution first present in 2020's Underneath. Born as CODE ORANGE’s in-house visual collective - the team responsible for the band’s dystopian livestreams, warped media experiments, and razor-edged aesthetic - NOWHERE2RUN always operated on the sideline, shaping the world that surrounded the music. With their new EP, What Did You Do?, that creative energy has found a new vessel. It’s a project that doesn’t just pick up the pieces but reconfigures them, fusing the digital paranoia and industrial abrasion that defined late-era CODE ORANGE with a new sense of direction and autonomy. It's something solely unique, yet instantly recognisable to fans of the band.

At its core, NOWHERE2RUN is the brainchild of JAMI MORGAN and ERIC "SHADE" BALDEROSE the creative pairing that drove CODE ORANGE's evolution from hardcore insurgents to industrial shapeshifters. What Did You Do? takes the experimental instincts that pulsed through Underneath and The Above and locks in on them completely. Every idea that once lurked in the margins of those records - the metallic crunch and the feverish digital noise - is now front and centre, pushed to grotesque, exhilarating extremes. The result is something drenched in sweat and static, pulsating like a club set in a collapsing server room. It feels ripped straight from Blade’s blood-soaked dance floor - fitting, given their recent BLOODRAVE events that have turned their live shows into something between performance art and ritual, and attracting masses of newly devoted fans.

The guest list on What Did You Do? is as stacked as you might expect. New Jersey punk-rap duo HO99O9, Zambian-Canadian Polaris Prize winner BACKXWASH, and avant-pop producer LECX STACY all make appearances, each adding their own strain of volatility and experimentation to the already vibrant mix. These collaborators don’t just decorate the record - they amplify its intent. Each addition brings a different language of abrasion and intensity, aligning perfectly with JAMI and SHADE's clear new vision of hybrid extremity. Together, they push NOWHERE2RUN beyond the confines of any single genre, turning the EP into a melting pot point where hardcore, industrial, rap, and electronic fury all fold into one feverish bloodstream. Making this release so incredibly hard to pin down, yet ever more intriguing and a joy to listen to.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the guest features that hit the hardest on this record. HO99O9 and BACKXWASH feel completely at home in NOWHERE2RUN’s world of serrated electronics and body-moving chaos. Their contributions to What Did You Do? don’t just complement the sound; they sharpen it. Somehow they elevate the duo's sound to untold new heights. Both artists have carved out distinct paths in the heavy music underground with their genre-blending releases, and these collaborations feel less like crossover moments and more like natural convergences. The standout, Little Prince (ft. Ho99o9, Kamiyada+), injects a surge of energy whilst slowing the tempo down ever so slightly, creating a tense, swaggering moment of release on an otherwise relentless record. It’s a perfect balance of control and chaos.

What Did You Do? ultimately feels like both a rupture and a rebirth for JAMI and SHADE's musical creativity. It's a statement of intent across 6 tracks from two artists refusing to stagnate or remain quiet in the aftermath of their past work. Where CODE ORANGE once blurred the boundaries between hardcore, industrial, and performance art, NOWHERE2RUN tears those boundaries down completely. It’s visceral, deliberate, and unapologetically confident. A project born from the same creative restlessness that made CODE ORANGE so compelling, but now free from the weight of expectation and the confines of any one genre. If this EP is any indication, JAMI and SHADE haven’t just moved on; they’ve built the next stage of the machine. As much as we will miss CODE ORANGE, NOWHERE2RUN is a welcome new project from two of heavy music's most boundary-pushing artists.

Score: 7/10

What Did You Do? was released on 31st October 2025 via Nowhere Recordings.

Words: Andrew Nile

Photos: NOWHERE2RUN