The Rise of Asian Electronica

House music with tabla beats? I think not. Asian underground is so much more than that. How much more? Let’s see…

Talvin Singh, the man of many firsts, was possibly solely responsible for the beginning of Asian underground. With his legendary Anokha nights in London and the release of his compilation album Anokha Soundz that blew every community away, the rise of Asian underground bubbled to the surface. The cutting and mixing of electronic beats, break beats, heavy bass with traditional Indian sounds and instruments brought the blending of two worlds together.

It may have started in UK but Asian underground has moved across the world with the long-running Sutra Funk in Amsterdam, to the groundbreaking Mutiny nights in New York City (it resulted in the documentary ‘Mutiny: Asians Storm British Music’ by Vivek Bald). Also, Asian underground based sounds in Mumbai introduced Bengalis and Gujuratis to the world. Asian music wasn’t just Bhangra anymore, it evolved and involved every other Asian community from North to South, and East to West of the sub continent.

The one group which probably brought Asian underground to the forefront and equated it with angst was Asian Dub Foundation. Deedar Zaman’s vocal ability to produce anger at will with his lyrics and rapping skills took Asian underground to another level by being political and expressing their opinions loud and clear. Although he’s moved on the greener pastures with his own group Rebel Uprising, the rest of the foundation have started a community music school (ADFED) and are still nurturing and mentoring new groups till today.

From individuals to collectives, the big boys in the scene in UK today are none other than Shiva Sound System (www.shivasoundsystem.com), Nasha collective (www.nasha.co.uk), and Shaanti (www.shaanti.co.uk)-who won the Best Asian Underground/ Fusion Act in 2003 at the first UK Asian Music Awards. This is an amazing achievement for a movement that is regarded to be underground. Shiva Sound System boasts the likes of Nerm and Soldgie, Nasha has collaborated with Ges-E and Aktarv8r, and Shaanti is oozing with Manga. These three groups have redefined Asian underground music and produced ground breaking works that have changed the face of house music, drum and bass, electronic and break beats forever with Asian-ism. Their gigs combine and collaborate a variety of artistes and musicians together with a diverse crowd that reconstructs fusion music. Their monthly gigs generate different sounds every time and have a huge following with all groups constantly travelling overseas to Europe, America, and the sub continent to export, introduce and recreate their sounds.

Look out for Visionary Underground (www.visionaryunderground.com) consisting of co-founder VJ Coco, the visual artist DJ Feelfree, and Damion - the vocalist. This group has produced fantastic music with their unique element of integrating visuals into their resonance, which makes them pleasing to the eye. Their sound is a first-rate union of dub, break beat, hip hop, and Asian vibes with distinctive visuals that blend the chaos of it all smoothly together. Their skills are phenomenal, with the angelic, versatile voice of Damion.

One more UK based group to sink your teeth into is Fusing Naked Beats (www.fusingnakedbeats.co.uk). Made up of DJ Asif-who created the project with DJ MRT and Alok, their style of bringing together Arabic rhythms and Eastern vibes creates an energy that is uplifting and magnetic. From ambient-like sounds to pumping beats, this trio is going far with their own label and the release of a new album, Outer Perspective. They have teamed up with spoken word beat poets like Yam Boy, and MCs like Sulal Kool- bringing a variety of artists and styles that go so well together you couldn’t imagine them apart.

Exit UK enter Canada. And who’s the man behind putting the underground scene together, or at least the most prominent one to try? Qasim Virjee, who started the webzine Indian Electronica (www.indianelectronica.com), brought the sounds of the UK scene over to Toronto. He turned it up so much that this year in July, Toronto launched their very own international Asian Underground festival called Indian Electronica Festival. It showcased electro-punk, South Asia funk and trip hop together with kathak dancing. Qasim, also known as DJ Abdul Smooth, rocked the event so magnificently that now there’s a monthly night called “Dishoom!” adopted from the one in New York City. The festival showcased the likes of LAL and Omnesia adding -Toronto onto the map of fusion music.

Vancouver also has their very own group to compete with Toronto. Beats without Borders (www.beatswithoutborders.com) is a crew of DJs and producers, who are not all Asian, fusing together Asian sounds from both the sub continent and South East Asia. With gigs that involve Cheb-i-Sabbah, who is French-Algerian, and Janaka Selecta from America, this is an international group that bonds through music.

Am I throwing too many names at you? I’m sorry, it can’t be helped! If any Asian music has moved all over the world, this is definitely it. There’s MIDIval Punditz in India, the first Indian electronica band to go international, r-h from Singapore who mixes South East Asian sounds with house and break beats (and who has performed with State of Bengal), and so many others from all over Europe, America and the Middle East- especially Dubai. You begin to wonder whether underground is an appropriate term for this movement is at all. With the revamp of BBC Asian Network introducing Electro East this year, and world festivals that embrace eastern and western sounds. Asian underground will soon be renamed Asian over ground and no one will know what hit them. It’s not a rise, it’s a spilling over…