Thread by @dhruvabalram

Hello! Here's a thread of some excellent South Asian music. I hope you find something you like in here. The list spans new releases, personal favourites, labels, seminal albums and gibberish I've been thinking about lately:

(For now, I'm going to be put the diaspoara aside. That would require a different thread) It's #BandcampFriday tomorrow , & I'm creating something @buymusicclub lists for this. In the meantime:

Firstly, let's shout out @prabhdeepmusic's 'Class-Sikh' Rapped entirely in Punjabi, the album sees the New Delhi artist wearing his heart on his sleeve, discussing the pitfalls of drug addiction, seeing friends in jail & being a survivor of a genocide prabhdeep.bandcamp.com/album/class-si…

His latest album, Tabia, dropped today & it shows the artist experimenting further with his music in a year where New Delhi was engulfed in a pogrom & his wider community of Sikhs are taking part in the world's largest protests. It's a fantastic album. prabhdeep.bandcamp.com/album/tabia

Let's move onto Pakistani group 6LA8. I don't much about the duo except that their work revolves around ambient, drone & post rock. At once, their work is meditative and introspective. 'Welcome to The Age of Flaws' was one of my favourite 2019 releases 6la8.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-…

Over the last five years, @consolidateblr have stamped themselves as the most intriguing label in South Asia. Firstly, I love how they've continually championed non-male acts & secondly, I love that you can never (and I mean never) know what they will release next

Each release is gorgeous and this is a good place to start (comp) consolidate.bandcamp.com/album/frnds-fm…

my favourite album by them is still lovesongs by aniruddh menon @aniruddhmenon (but honestly, their entire bandcamp collection is LOVELY) + all their peoples are the best consolidate.bandcamp.com/album/lovesongs

Mooshi Moo was one of the founding labels in South Asia to be any kind of groundbreaking. They would go onto influence so many other labels across the region & to take a dive into their work, I would recommend this great piece by @tilpa on @Bandcamp daily.bandcamp.com/label-profile/…

At one point last decade, I didn't hear anyone releasing the kind of electronic music Forever South were dropping. This collection from them was such a great pinpoint on where the scene stood, at its apex, watching over and helping others up. foreversouthmusic.bandcamp.com/album/collecti…

(I even wrote a piece for @DJmag on Karachi's electronic music scene here) djmag.com/longreads/forg…

I like what 4NCY @4ncurrency are releasing and though they're a fledgling label, I'm curious to see where they go. In particular, @YungRajBeats is one of the best consistent beat makers yungraj.bandcamp.com

Qilla Records are a great label for electronic music. (It's pretty dude heavy.) Their releases span ambient to techno and house with artists like Kohra @Kohra and FILM @filmbeatzzz delivering intriguing tracks. Worth a listen to slot into your next mix. qilla.bandcamp.com/music

Sri Lanka-based Jambutek Recordings @Jambutek are very much electronic music focused & I have thoroughly enjoyed each of their heady releases especially from stand-out talent Asvajit. jambutek.bandcamp.com/album/filters-…

As an aside, Sunara is one of my favourite DJ's from the subcontinent (but I don't think she releases music?) soundcloud.com/jambutek/jambu…

phatcowlee is a producer from Nepal whose work, I've felt, has always been quite engaging. Whether as part of his many bands or as phatcowlee himself, Rajan Shrestha is one of Nepal's most talented artists. phatcowlee.bandcamp.com

His 2017 release Cinema out on @consolidateblr was how I was introduced to @phatcowlee consolidate.bandcamp.com/album/cinema

Speaking of Nepal, I dove deep into the Kathmandu scene for @DJmag here: djmag.com/longreads/movi…

when Mumbai-based label nrtya emerged, I was instantly hooked by the label. Whether it's rapper The Mellow Turtle or ambient from @eashwarb, their releases span genres, artists, genders.
soundcloud.com/nrtya

this was a great piece by @udaybkapur on Tre Ess (who alongside The Mellow Turtle) has a great story which deserves plenty of profiles
vervemagazine.in/arts-and-cultu…

Also: I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing the rise of Aditi Ramesh, a former lawyer, from a fledgling talented singer to being on billboards in Mumbai

one of my go-to artists for when I'm writing is @asfand who makes great ambient music as well as some hard-hitting mutated techno. asfandyarkhan.bandcamp.com/album/new-norm…

Jwala are strange. A collective of internet-raised bedroom producers, their ceiling is nowhere in sight and I'd love for them to explore more of what they can do but they're some of the region's best beatmakers. jwalaco.bandcamp.com/album/new-light

Next year, Dhaka's akaliko records would have been around for ten years. They've rightfully laid down the idea of themselves being the premiere label out of Bangladesh, growing a scene from nothing into something. (for you @provhat_r)
akalikorecords.bandcamp.com/track/shayekh-…

Amarrass Records are very cool. Their music sits outside of what is the generic South Asian alternative label. By promoting artists from regional areas, their roster comprises some of the more eclectic music you'll hear baggakhan.bandcamp.com/album/bhajan

Meba Ofilia is a VERY exciting rapper from the North East of India and I would love to see a polished project from her. Her ceiling is nowhere in sight & I want to see her achieve that potential

Speaking of the North East, @ImphalTalkies are a folk rock band creating music that is both infectious & confrontational. great music to sit with when feeling frustrated imphaltalkies.bandcamp.com/album/imphal-t…

as we're on a rock tip Mughal E Funk from Pakistan - who we featured over at @chalohq - are also brilliant. listen to the arrangement of instruments here in particular their use of Sitar

I also lOVE LOVE LOVE Janoobi Kharghosh @JanoobiKhargosh whose 80s-inspired synth-pop is instantly distinctive because I don't know anyone else making the kind of music they do. it glides along the surface wrapping you in a cocoon of warmth

Shout outs to cultural icon and overall legend @rukhsanakartoos for introducing me to these artists. Natasha herself is an incredible artist whose voice alone can carry a song. She holds the Pakistani cultural scene on her shoulders

Let me shout out one of the more enigmatic, forward thinking future facing producers @talalqureshi His output is next to none and he's always dropping tracks that are catchy, distinctive and just different from anything else. play him in your next mixes!

Lastly, no list would be complete without @azadirecords.
Each of their releases is fire. They're revolutionaries who refuse to bow down to authority & have released some of the greatest rap records India has borne witness to.

In particular, the focus @azadirecords has on Kashmiri artists is to be applauded. I would spend some time going through their work because each release delivers something new azadirecords.bandcamp.com

Wow I am ranting and raving here. I could go on to talk about @dizzyzee Slowspin's soothing calming textures, the melodic hymns of @sulkstation sulk station, @SeedheMaut
seedhe maut's visceral raps, @pcrcdelhi
peter cat recording co's throwback to a bygone era,

@oceantiedmusic oceantied's four-to-floor production, park circus' heady conscious raps, swadesi @swadesimovement creating a movement, noni-mouse turning heads with her intricate production, how @kumailmusic Kumail blends jazz and hip-hop with ease (I'm SO excited for his future)

while @jaubi_band continue to be one of the greatest products of South Asia and @jamblu123 Jamblu's production is so fun, Ghazipur makes music for the anger you have against the government, @eashwarb eashwar subramaniam creates soft ambient textures and

people like @Dynomanmusic Dynoman, Disco Puppet @discopuppet, Babloo Babylon @babloo_babylon continue to surprise me with each release while someone like @Ahmermusic Ahmer and Ali Sauffudin are wonderful brave artists creating music in Kashir that deserves more of a spotlight.

this entire thread is to showcase that DAMN THERE'S A BILLION OF US STATISTICALLY SOME OF US CAN MAKE MUSIC you know? like why aren't publications like Pitchfork - who essentially act as gatekeepers to the wider music industry -featuring more South Asian artists?

I'm tired of gatekeepers in an already white-dominated industry determining who gets a share. I just never want to hear "I can't find any" or "there aren't any good ones" because there are if you cared to look for a few minutes.

If you're going through this thread, I've compiled these artists into a list here: buymusic.club/list/aajkal-th…

rock buymusic.club/list/aajkal-al…

hip hop buymusic.club/list/aajkal-hi…

electronic music buymusic.club/list/aajkal-th…