Naya Beat on their second portion of ‘lost’ South Asian house and electronica

Four years of research later…

Naya Beat Records is back with a second selection from a forgotten era of South Asian house, street soul and downtempo, Naya Beat Volume 2: South Asian Dance And Electronic Music 1988-1994.

Daytime disco pioneer, remixer and Poolside founding member Filip Nikolic aka Turbotito and acclaimed DJ and record collector Raghav Mani aka Ragz (both pictured above) have spent four years on a mission to uncover and champion overlooked but pioneering artists from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora to bring them to the fore, taking in endless hunts through dusty records, obscure cassettes and unreleased studio tapes.

The music comes from a time when fertile cross-cultural collaboration abounded in diasporic communities in cities like London and New York when acid house, new beat and dub were infused with South Asian sounds.

The pair told us: “There was a remarkable time of collaboration and cultural exchange in dance music in the late 80s where musicians and producers from South Asia and the diaspora worked hand in hand with Western producers to synthesize their respective cultures into something completely new.

“The music they created was often too far ahead of its time to have mainstream success. We’ve spent the last four years tracking down master tapes, stems, and material from these artists and have been blown away by what we found. We’re honoured to provide an outlet for this music to find the ears it deserves!“ 

From the house meets Eurodance club banger ‘Bass Fire (On And On)’ featuring Asha Puthli to the 90s Balearic anthem ‘Calling’ by the late Sangeeta, which – remixed by Turbotito and Ragz – was the lead single for the album, the tracklisting is comprehensive and eclectic.

“I’m delighted that Naya Beat Records are committed to preserving and spreading the legacy of South Asian music through its incredible series of digital and vinyl releases,” Kuljit Bhamra MBE commented. “Many of the selected tracks, including two of mine – ‘Dholdrums’ and ‘Calling’ – would have been lost to the annals of time if it were not for this passion. Thank you.” 

Buy your vinyl copy of Naya Beat Volume 2: South Asian Dance And Electronic Music 1988-1994 by clicking here.