Naya Beat Records recently announced the release of Naya Beat Volume 2: South Asian Dance And Electronic Music 1988-1994, a compilation of South Asian house, street soul and downtempo cuts from the formative years of dance music.
DJ, remixer and Poolside founding member Filip Nikolic, aka Turbotito, and DJ and record collector Raghav Mani, aka Ragz, are behind the series, which is aimed at crate diggers and those looking for fresh sounds – the duo’s first Naya Beat compilation explored early 80s Balearic, synth pop, and disco.
The compilation is a treasure trove of lost classics, and features tracks by Mantra, The Jets Orkhestra, Heera, Bappi Lahiri and the late Sangeeta, among others, with Turbotito & Ragz on remix duties for several tracks. You can download/purchase it here.
With that in mind, for this week’s #MyRecordBag, Turbotito & Ragz offer up their top South Asian electronic gems – including an exclusive for 909originals. Over to you, lads!
Sangeeta – Calling (Turbotito & Ragz Remix)
“This is the first single from our compilation Naya Beat Volume 2: South Asian Dance And Electronic Music 1988-1994. Sangeeta was the first woman to break through the glass ceiling in the UK bhangra scene. She passed away earlier this year after a long battle with cancer.
“We remixed the original vocal take of her pretty obscure track Calling – which came out in ’93 on the EP of the same name – into a 90s balearic house anthem with some nice atmospheric synths and big house chords.”
Alisha – Taara
“Dreamy mid-80s Hindi pop from the one and only Alisha Chinai taken from her album Aah…Alisha!. The track was arranged by keys player Louis Banks who is one of India’s jazz greats. Recorded in the early days of Alisha’s career, it was her second in a series of solo albums – a very rare thing in the Bollywood-centric Indian music industry at the time.
“Alisha was India’s answer, of sorts, to Madonna and she really helped usher in a whole era Hindi/Indian pop in the early 90s.”
Azaad – Azaad Az Nailz
“This is from a crazy in-demand and impossible to find remix album of the UK bhangra group Azaad. We might be among a lucky few that have copies on wax! This one gets rinsed. Apparently the remixes were produced by the 3MI guys – of Rozalla’s Everybody’s Free fame. In any case the entire album is killer and is also thankfully available on streaming.”
Mantra – Jindo (Club Mix)
“We thought we’d do something extra special for 909originals and so made this one available on YouTube for the first time. It’s a total ghost! Mantra were a short-lived project by London-based uncle and nephew duo Harry Rihal and Jati Sodhi, unsung pioneers of the British Asian music scene and the same guys behind Hindi new wave act, Pinky Ann Rihal.
“Their eponymous and only release – an EP – came out on cassette in 1991 at a time when acid house was having a big influence on British Asian music. The tape features two versions of Jindo, which is a storming bhangra house cover of Jingo (originally by Babatunde Olatunji and made popular by Santana). The ‘club mix’ here was mixed by non-other than Biddu. The title track from the EP Mantra is also on Naya Beat Volume 2.”
Chirag Pehchan – Back Yard Beat
“Chirag Pehchan were a massively important UK bhangra group that had a breakaway hit with their song Rail Gaddi. Taken off their ’89 album Dekho Dekho, Back Yard Beat is a super under the radar acid house inspired bhangra banger. Another one that doesn’t leave our bag. Look out for the extended version on the CD release.”
Ilaiyaraaja – Needhi Idhu
“The one and only Tamil electrofunk pioneer and legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja delivers the goods as usual. This track has stayed very much under the radar and is from one of his more obscure soundtracks. Breaks, bass, and stabs. It really slaps.”
Sally Edwards – Piya Tu Ab To Aja
“An early ‘90s midi-synth chutney cover of the iconic Indian composer RD Burman which was originally sung by Asha Bhosle. The RD Burman version had some loose Caribbean and Latin elements but Sally Edwards’ version takes that to a different level. So good.”
Rama – Black Plait Dub
“One of our favourite dub-flavoured bhangra tracks. It was released in ’93 on Rama’s Ragga Rama EP on Saint Records. Nils Edstrom, who was one of the two producers on the EP is one of those unsung pioneers of the early 90s bhangra scene and would incorporate a lot of Caribbean elements into his productions.”
Bappi Lahiri – Habiba Bappi
“Lahiri’s acid house gem Habiba from his ’90 album Snakedance. We chose this version on YouTube especially for you to see the amazing breakdance routine by Indian actor and dancer Javed Jaffrey on a ’89 New Year’s Eve telecast. What a track and what a way to call in the 90s.
“This was the beginning of a wonderful but short-lived streak of loosely house-inspired output from Bappi Da. Rama Rama, which is off the same album as Habiba, is also on Naya Beat Volume 2.”
Blancmange – Hello Darling
“The first dance track to use Bollywood samples. It was written and produced by the incredibly gifted Stephen Luscombe of Blancmange and West India Company fame and released under the artist pseudonym Blue World. The track samples Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle – who Luscombe worked with extensively in West India Company. What a tune. It’s still one of our favourites to play out.”
Thanks to Turbotito & Ragz for your contributions. Check out Naya Beat Volume 2: South Asian Dance And Electronic Music 1988-1994 here.
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