Naya Beat Records

Home
United States
Los Angeles, CA
Naya Beat Records

A reissue and rework label. Music from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora.

06/25/2024

It’s been two months since ‘Bhangra House Xtc’ featuring , and was released. In addition to Bandcamp our tribute to that pioneering era of late 80s bhangra acid house and dub is available at a number of amazing record shops around the world (swipe left). Show your love, support your local record shop and get yourself a copy!

05/31/2024

In a few short hours our beloved disco mystic and Queen will embark on her first show of her first tour in 44 years. Make no mistake, this is history in the making. Kicking things off with a sold out show tonight at , Asha will be bringing her incredible legacy to life backed by one of tightest bands we have ever seen. She’ll be playing Glastonbury, We Out Here, Jazz Café and New Morning this summer to name a few followed by more dates later in the year.

When we first spoke to Asha almost three years to interview her about her track ‘Chipko Chipko’ (on our Naya Beat Volume 1 release), we hadn’t the faintest idea it would be lead us on this incredible journey with her. What a journey it has been. We’ve been working with Asha every step of the way to provide a platform for her legacy and music to receive the recognition it deserves. Embarking on a tour at the age of 79 is no small undertaking. We’ve been blown away by Asha’s strength, sense of humour and perseverance. One day we hope the story of the many challenges this incredible human has had and continues to overcome will be told and will inspire you just like it does us.

While there are too many people to thank we’d like to express our sincere gratitude to Asha’s stellar band – made up of musical director Shawn Lee (also on drums), Carl Hudson on keys, Terry Lewis on guitar, and Ernie McKone on bass – for bringing the goods. We’ve had the pleasure of being cooked up in rehearsals for three days and it has been off the hook. You are in for a treat! GO ASHA!

05/10/2024

Where Bhangra meets house Mr Scruff (pictured) and Turbotito & Ragz have been discussing their contributions to the 'Bhangra House XTC' EP, a four track 12 on Naya Beat. The EP take

04/24/2024

‘Bhangra House Xtc’ is out now on Naya Beat Records! Featuring remixes by myself and tracks by Turbotito & Raghav Mani, it’s a celebration of the late great bhangra vocalist Manjeet Kondal and his classic 1986 album ‘Holle Holle’ – produced and arranged by longtime associate Deepak Khazanchi and released on his label Arishma.

Why celebrate this album and who was Manjeet Kondal? Kondal made his start in bhangra in 1980 as the founding member and dholak player with the legendary band Alaap, an early pioneer of UK bhangra whose first three albums Khazanchi produced. In the mid-80s Kondal decided to go solo as a vocalist and approached Khazanchi to produce the music. The result? ‘Holle Holle’, a groundbreaking album that would become a household hit. The title track won best song of the year at the UK Asian Pop Awards and the album garnered mainstream support by the likes of BBC Radio 1 visionary John Peel (a fan of bhangra who would often play the music on his show).

‘Holle Holle’ represents a turning point. A transition of sorts between the more traditional rock/pop bhangra band of the early 80s and the house, dub and electronic bhangra scene of the late 80s. The production techniques on the album were influenced heavily by electronic music and cut and paste production, pioneering in bhangra at the time. Beyond Kondal’s powerful vocals, the album is a testament to the maverick work of producer-arranger Khazanchi and studio engineer Pete Ware. Khazanchi cut his teeth by working with giants such as Trevor Horn and was involved in many pioneering early 80s East-West crossover projects, from synth-pop act Blancmange to the Sheila Chandra-fronted Monsoon and Nazia and Zoheb’s iconic album ‘Young Tarang’. It is perhaps this openness to cross-cultural collaboration as well as Khazanchi’s familiarity and enthusiasm for electronic instruments and production that made ‘Holle Holle’ so pioneering.

Massive thanks to Naya Beat for inviting me to remix this absolute classic.. It was such a pleasure to work on. Also a big shout & thank you to Ruby Swallow, Rina Ladybeige, Sway Of The Verses , Ruf Dug, Aroop Roy, Dipak Mistry, Nainash Chevli, Rohan Rakhit, Zar, Raheel Khan, Phat Phil Cooper, Peggy Gou, Nick Record, David Holmes, Deb Grant on BBC Radio 6, Novena Carmel on KCRW, Resident Advisor, Mixmag, Juno Download (Single of the week!) & everyone else supporting the release.

This EP is dedicated to the memory of Manjeet Singh Kondal, 1950-2023.

Click here to listen and purchase - https://orcd.co/naya006

04/19/2024

OUT NOW! Mr. Scruff and Turbotito & Ragz are delighted to announce that ‘Bhangra House Xtc’ is out today! Our tribute to a forgotten era of late 80s UK Bhangra is now available on vinyl and all good digital platforms. The record is already on its way to shops and Bandcamp orders start shipping on Monday. We’ve had amazing support from the likes of Peggy Gou, Perel, David Holmes, Nick The Record, Deb Grant on BBC Radio 6, Novena Carmel on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, Resident Advisor, Mixmag Asia and others! Copies are going fast so we encourage you to order yours fast! 🔗

Featuring remixes by and tracks by & , the EP is a celebration of late Bhangra vocalist Manjeet Kondal and producer Deepak Khazanchi and their 1986 classic ‘Holle Holle’. The album was released at a pivotal moment of cultural and collaborative exchange between Punjabi and Caribbean diasporic communities and electronic and dance music pioneers in the UK. ‘Holle Holle’ would set the stage for a magical time in the late 80s/early 90s when house, dub, dancehall and hip-hop would profoundly impact Bhangra and in many ways shape the sound of British Asian music today. To quote journalist , “it remind(s) us that the current wave of South Asian DJs, producers, rappers and experimental artists stands on the shoulders of forgotten giants.” Ultimately the album and the era serves as a testament to the strength and perseverance of diaspora communities in the UK to forge their own unique identity.

This EP is dedicated to the memory of Manjeet Singh Kondal, 1950-2023. ❤️

mastering
vinyl cutting
artwork and design
logo
physical distribution
digital distribution
promo

04/16/2024

‘Bhangra House Xtc’ is out this Friday! Featuring remixes by and tracks by & , it’s a celebration of the late great bhangra vocalist Manjeet Kondal and his classic 1986 album ‘Holle Holle’ – produced and arranged by longtime associate Deepak Khazanchi and released on his label Arishma. Why celebrate this album and who was Manjeet Kondal? Kondal made his start in bhangra in 1980 as the founding member and dholak player with the legendary band Alaap, an early pioneer of UK bhangra whose first three albums Khazanchi produced. In the mid-80s Kondal decided to go solo as a vocalist and approached Khazanchi to produce the music. The result? ‘Holle Holle’, a groundbreaking album that would become a household hit. The title track won best song of the year at the UK Asian Pop Awards and the album garnered mainstream support by the likes of BBC Radio 1 visionary John Peel (a fan of bhangra who would often play the music on his show).

‘Holle Holle’ represents a turning point. A transition of sorts between the more traditional rock/pop bhangra band of the early 80s and the house, dub and electronic bhangra scene of the late 80s. The production techniques on the album were influenced heavily by electronic music and cut and paste production, pioneering in bhangra at the time. Beyond Kondal’s powerful vocals, the album is a testament to the maverick work of producer-arranger Khazanchi and studio engineer Pete Ware. Khazanchi cut his teeth by working with giants such as Trevor Horn and was involved in many pioneering early 80s East-West crossover projects, from synth-pop act Blancmange to the Sheila Chandra-fronted Monsoon and Nazia and Zoheb’s iconic album ‘Young Tarang’. It is perhaps this openness to cross-cultural collaboration as well as Khazanchi’s familiarity and enthusiasm for electronic instruments and production that made ‘Holle Holle’ so pioneering.

Kondal and Khazanchi would release two more albums together, ‘Wicked And Wild’ (1987) and ‘Let’s Party’ (1993) (1991’s ‘Special Brew’ was Kondal’s only album without Khazanchi). Manjeet Singh Kondal passed away last November at the age of 73. May he RIP 🕊️

03/25/2024

This week's Unfold show with label head Robert Luis is here. 📻 Listen now on Mixcloud or SoundCloud 🔊 New music from Tara Lily and Ganavya. Deep House from Nutty Nys and a classic from Mr Fingers. Hip Hop from Ice Cube remixed by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Backwood Sweetie and PATEN LOCKE. Deep beats from Skwirl and DJ Counselling. A great track from the excellent Naya Beat Records. A club rocker from yourboykiran. Joy Anonymous remixes Ezra Collective feat Sampa The Great. Broken Beat from EVM128, Bruk Rogers and XL Regular. Plus plenty more music treats.

03/23/2024

Naya Beat label heads Turbotito & Ragz deliver an original track ‘Pyaar’ (Punjabi for love). A blissed out 90s dub inspired chugger featuring the vocals of t...

03/06/2024

SOLD OUT! The second pressing of the limited edition of ‘Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1’ is officially sold out! If you somehow missed out on the die cut and gold embossed sleeve, don’t worry! Our third pressing is similarly otherworldly with beautiful artwork on a standard outer sleeve. Fresh off the pressing plant, it’s currently making its way to Naya Beat HQ and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. We cannot be more grateful for the continued response to this release. Scroll left for the recent words of wonderful journalist on Disco Mystic and published in India’s biggest weekend newspaper . Our love to , , , , , and for making this magic happen. We’ve got more exciting news coming from the orbit of the Disco Mystic. Stay tuned! ✨🚀

12/28/2023

NUMBER ONE! Disco Mystic is ranked #1 on ’s list of the Best Reissues, Remixes & Compilations Of 2023! We are so proud to see both Asha Puthli remix releases – ‘Space Talk: With Remixes By Dimitri From Paris’ and ‘Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1’– top so many incredible Best Of 2023 lists. This is without doubt the remix event of the year. Scroll left for other incredible accolades (not comprehensive) from and more. Full articles in our bio 🔗

KCRW’s described Disco Mystic as “a heroic undertaking, tied together by Puthli’s signature vocal style leaving listeners, both new and old, eager for more.” Isn’t that the very purpose of a remix? To get new ears in the know and to delight old ones that already do? Big love to our darlings & for delivering these future classics.

Last but not least a huge shout to our extended family that made these releases possible. Thank you to .v and . Here’s looking to more incredible things in 2024! ❤️

12/04/2023

Thank you for awarding ‘Awaaz Series 1: Original Soundtrack Recordings From The Archives Of CBS Gramophone & Tapes India 1982 - 1986’ a well deserved place in your Top 20 Compilations of 2023!

When making their selection the team at HHV Mag asked all the questions that we fret about constantly - Is the selection correct? Is the sequencing correct? Is this collection even needed?

From the music, to the restoration and mastering and not least the packaging we couldn’t be more proud of this release. Massive thanks to Kristoffer Cornils and Sebastian Hinz for the inclusion!

11/24/2023

ANNOUNCEMENT! Stop what you’re doing. Yuksek has a public service announcement. The repress of ‘Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1’ has finally landed! It’s now available on our Bandcamp and is making its way to all good record shops. Copies are already scarce so we strongly encourage you to get yours soon – this will be our last run with the cut-out and reversible sleeve. It’s been two months since our disco mystic Asha Puthli graced us with her remix LP and we couldn’t be more humbled by the response. The vinyl was the number one bestseller on Juno Records across all genres, and the remixes have been included in a number of amazing editorial playlists including Apple Music's and , Amazon Music’s not to mention amazing playlists from our friends at Glitterbox, H&M and others.

11/09/2023

SOLD OUT! Our Disco Mystic has beamed back to her mothership. Was she an apparition? Was she ever here? Asha Puthli’s ‘Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1’ is sold out. A repress is on its way and will be available later this month. If you missed out we strongly encourage pre-orders through our Bandcamp (this will be our last run with the reversible otherworldly sleeve). Scroll left for a list (not comprehensive) of amazing dealers that are stocking the release and that may still have copies. We have been overwhelmed by the response to Disco Mystic with support from to name a few. Our love to , , , , , , and and our heartfelt thanks to everyone for their support. ❤️

10/26/2023

“The Singular Voice of Asha Puthli”. We have rarely read a piece that so wonderfully actualizes Asha Puthli’s voice, persona and magical being into words. Thank you aka Vrinda Jagota and for this beautiful feature interview with and for showcasing 'Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1'. And thank you for the brilliantly incisive quotes. Published in Bandcamp Daily earlier this week, this is essential reading on Asha’s career, the challenges she’s had to overcome and the new generation of artists that she is inspiring. Check out our bio 🔗

We should also use this opportunity to let you know that the first pressing of Disco Mystic is now SOLD OUT! Stay tuned for repress details and for information on shops that might still have the record in stock. 🪄

10/19/2023

"Sensuous disco-jazz fusion from the '70s gets a four-on-the-floor makeover". Thank you and for the lovely review of 's 'Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1' and for showcasing reinterpretations of our Queen's works by , , and among others! Read it now 🔗

For those that still don’t have it, grab your copy of Disco Mystic on vinyl fast. We have very few copies left ✨

09/28/2023

Earlier this week we had the honour of standing with our Disco Mystic in London Town to celebrate her and the release of 'Select Remixes Volume 1'. What a night it was. Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our sister from another mother - the indefatigable and brilliant and her Brown Girl In The Ring - for hosting such an amazing night with so many that have been influenced and inspired by Asha's legacy. Scroll left for pictures from a very special evening that included an incredible Q&A with Asha. This was the culmination of a long week of activity that saw perform at London Fashion Week, record with our homies an , appear on radio with on , on and on . ALL HAIL THE DISCO MYSTIC! Massive shout to our besties and for joining us on the decks. Big ups to for making it all possible.

09/06/2023

We recently sat down with music magazine Fifteen Questions for a series of possibly the most thoughtful (and hardest) questions we’ve been asked! The interview is far too long to post here but peep our bio for a long and free ranging conversation on everything from the roots of the label, our fav pieces of Indian classical music to our thoughts on cultural appropriation and the role of disco in South Asian music. We’re pretty happy with the piece! Sincere thanks to Tobias Fischer and Lara Cory for hosting!

08/29/2023

It’s been two months since ‘Awaaz Series 1: Original Soundtrack Recordings From The Archives Of CBS Gramophone & Tapes India 1982-1986’ was released. In addition to Bandcamp our love letter to Bollywood is available at a number of amazing records shops around the world (swipe left). ‘Awaaz Series 1’ represents everything we love about the magic of vinyl. From the immense design, to the insane packaging to the music. Show your love, support your local record shop and get yourself a copy!

08/24/2023

Guest mix alert! We recently had the honour of playing some tunes for the lovely people at on their Future Disco Radio Show. We had a lot of fun putting something together with our more dance-forward Naya Beat releases and remixes. It’s now up for your listening pleasure! Peep our bio 🔗

08/22/2023

ANNOUNCEMENT! Featuring remixes by Yuksek, Maurice Fulton, Kraak & Smaak, Turbotito & Ragz, Psychemagik and Jitwam and out on vinyl and all digital platforms on September 22, 2023, Asha Puthli’s 'Disco Mystic: Select Remixes Volume 1' is now available for pre-order! Swipe left for artwork, tracklist and clips and keep your eyes glued for an upcoming preview of the vinyl (which includes gold leaf embossing, a cutout and a reversible sleeve among other details).

Paying artistic homage to Asha Puthli’s incredible legacy and following the high bar set earlier this year by Dimitri From Paris with his iconic remixes of ‘Space Talk’ is no easy task. We are blown away by the work of the heavyweights assembled on this LP. Using the mythologised original stems and recordings of Asha’s first four studio albums, there is a magical quality to these remixes that honour the originals while taking them into new sonic territory. Early support includes the likes of DJ Harvey, Greg Wilson, Soul Clap, Luke Solomon, Idjut Boys, Nightmares On Wax, Red Axes and Marvin & Guy to name a few.

Glaswegian writer David Keenan (whose excellent article on Asha and Ornette Coleman inspired the name of this album) described disco as “the sound of the future, now.” It wouldn’t surprise us if the other-worldly, genre morphing Asha travelled to this planet from some intergalactic future to gift us her music. Asha, disco mystic from the future. We hope this album carries her torch forward and that her music reimagined sounds just as fresh and future forward – both to those of us that know her and to the new ears that soon will.

Pre-orders encouraged! 🔗

mastering Turbotito
vinyl cutting The Carvery Studio
artwork and design Radha Vishnubhotla
sleeve production
physical distribution The Pusher Distribution
digital distribution Above Board Distribution
remixes by Yuksek Maurice Fulton Kraak & Smaak Turbotito & Raghav Mani Psychemagik Jitwam

06/27/2023

This Thursday, 10pm-late, we go back to where it all started. Join us at to celebrate the release of Awaaz along with some of our favourite LA-based labels for an evening of international funk and disco. We are honoured to be joined by our homies and . Don’t sleep!

Address

Los Angeles, CA
90027

Website

https://linktr.ee/nayabeat

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Naya Beat Records posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Naya Beat Records:

Videos

‘Pyaar’ by Naya Beat label heads Turbotito & Ragz is out on all streaming platforms this Friday! It’s the first single from our forthcoming ‘Bhangra House Xtc’ with @mrs.cruff, a scorching bhangra acid house and dub EP that celebrates the late bhangra vocalist Manjeet Kondal and his classic 1986 album ‘Holle Holle’. Kondal and Deepak Khazanchi’s ‘Holle Holle’ ushered in a new era UK bhangra that embraced dance and electronic music production. Working with Kondal’s vocals from an assortment of tracks from ‘Holle Holle’, @turbotito & @justragz80’s ‘Pyaar’ (Punjabi for love) pays homage to the pioneering work of UK producers like Mick St. Clair, Nils Edstrom and Bally Sagoo that combined elements reggae, dub and dancehall with bhangra. Pre-order your 12” now!

There was a magical time in the late 80s when acid house met bhangra and when Asian and Western producers collaborated to bridge musical cultures on the dance floor. Deepak And Khan aka United Nations House aka Mark Kamins, Miguel Kertsman and Tuta Aquino brought us this gem in 1988. This music video was out on MTV no less. Some of you might recognise the use of bhangra legend Manjeet Kondal’s “holle holle” vocal sample from his and Deepak Khazanchi’s hit of the same name (we can only assume that the name Deepak And Khan is homage to Khazanchi). We have a very special announcement coming next week, something that’s literally been in the works since our first release Naya Beat Volume 1. It is in part a tribute to Kondal, who passed away late last year, and part a tribute to the forgotten confluence of acid house and dub music with late 80s and early 90s bhangra. There is a MASSIVE remix involved and a lovely dubby new original. It’s going to blow your mind. ✨🇺🇳 Also a bit of music trivia…Mark Kamins helped launch the career of Madonna by taking her to see Seymour Stein, the founder and President of Sire. He also produced her first single ‘Everybody’ in 1982…

For all your favourite retro hits get…Awaaz! starring @rotalksdirector of photography @9wingsstudiohair and makeup @glammnameditor @turbotitowriting and directing @justragz80 @rotalksproducers @justragz80 @turbotito

Are you a fan of those golden hits of yesteryears?💫 #nayabeat #nayabeatrecords #awaaz #bollywood #cbsindia #infomercial #rohiniramnathan #rotalks #juhubeach #moodmusic #disco #dub #downtempo #balearic #funk #newmusic #comingsoon #worldpremiere #madefortv #vhs #cbsgramophonerecordsandtapesindia

The birth of Shiva. @jkriv remix releasing Friday 🦹🏾‍♂️🔱 #nayabeat #nayabeatrecords #jkriv #rdburman #shivakainsaaf #jackieshroff #poonamdhillon #bollywood #remix #bollywoodremix #musicvideo #worldpremiere #newmusic #newmusiccomingsoon #teaser #birthofshiva #superhero #awaaz

Shiva’s coming to get you. #nayabeat #nayabeatrecords #rdburman #shivakainsaaf #jackieshroff #disco #bollywood #remix #newmusic #newmusiccomingsoon #teaser #birthofshiva #superhero #awaaz

Asha is ready. Are you? #nayabeat #nayabeatrecords #asha #ashaputhli #newmusic #newmusiccomingsoon #teaser #rightdownhere

Happy Valentines ❤ #nayabeat #nayabeatrecords #asha #ashaputhli #newmusic #newmusiccomingsoon #teaser #valentines

The Jets Orkhestra at the Hammersmith Palais in London in 1992 performing ‘Tum Mera Pyar Ho’ (which translates to “you are my love” in Hindi). The brainchild of producer Pankaj ‘Jets’ Jethwa and MC Val Dubois, The Jets Orkhestra were around at a particularly exciting time in the Asian music scene in the UK - a melting pot that would see different diasporic sounds and cultures come together. Against the backdrop of the prevailing Bhangra meets Ragga meets club aesthetic of the time, The Jets Orkhestra stood out with a brilliantly unique sound. Dreamy Hindi vocals about love set to downtempo grooves. Balearic bliss.

No words. RIP Bappi Da 1952-2022 🤍

A few months ago we posted our interview with Remo Fernandes about the making of his balearic masterpiece “Jungle Days”. Our minds were collectively blown when he told us that a bank of “weird sound effects” on his Yamaha RX-5 drum machine (which he had recently purchased) inspired this amazing track. In classic Remo fashion the entire piece was recorded as a one-man band using nothing but this drum machine, a Yamaha DX-7 synth and a bansuri (Indian flute). We couldn’t figure out how such a simple combination of instruments recorded in a basic home-recording studio could sound so unbelievably warm and vibey. The answer? The TEAC Tascam Series 144 Portastudio four-track cassette recorder. Maestro @turbotito breaks it down! #remofernandes #bombaycity #jungledays #yamaharx5 #tascamportastudio 📹 @turbotito

A shady globetrotting swami inspired the making of Asha Puthli's 1990 Hindi pop album ‘Hari Om’ and the title track of the same name. Chandraswami gained notoriety as a wheeling and dealing spiritual adviser to the world’s political elites and rich and famous with ties to everyone from Margaret Thatcher, Mobutu and Ferdinand Marcos to Elizabeth Taylor and John McEnroe. Asha, who had met Chandraswami, was asked by her friend, journalist and media entrepreneur RV Pandit, to write an article about her experiences with him. Pandit had just acquired the Indian imprint of CBS Records (those familiar with India might also remember his Nalanda bookshops located in the Taj Hotels) so Asha decided to record an album instead! Soon after the album’s release Chandraswami would become linked to a number of high profile scams and face other nefarious allegations. Talk about prescient songwriting! #ashaputhli #hariom #chandraswami #rvpandit #cbsrecords #cbsgramophonerecordsandtapes #analandaalbum #nalandabookshop 📽 @turbotito