with Beant: the South Asian underground scene
Beant explores the Asian Underground, from Talvin Singh and Nitin Sawhney to Panjabi garage, tracing the movement from 90s clubs to its 2026 renaissance.
New voices and new sounds from the Asian Network.
Beant takes a deep dive into the Asian Underground and the Panjabi garage sounds that have shaped British Asian club culture.
From Talvin Singh and State of Bengal to Asian Dub Foundation, Joi and Nitin Sawhney, he explores the groundbreaking movement that emerged from UK Asian nightlife in the 1990s, blending South Asian musical traditions with jungle, garage, electronic and dance music.
The journey then moves into Panjabi garage, with tracks from RDB, Nindy Kaur, XLNC, DJ Surinder Rattan, Punjabi Hit Squad and more, exploring how folk vocals, poetry and familiar South Asian sounds found a new home on the dancefloor.
In his Moment That Made Me, Beant reflects on discovering the renaissance of the Asian Underground at DialledIn in 2021, where he experienced a new generation of artists bringing together Panjabi music, garage, dubstep and electronic sounds in an inclusive space.
From the pioneering artists of the 90s to the producers and DJs pushing the movement forward today, Beant celebrates a sound that has always been about community, creativity and breaking new ground.
Produced in Birmingham by Solis Productions for BBC Asian Network.
On radio
Broadcasts
- Tue 22 Sep 202622:00BBC Asian Network
- Sun 27 Sep 202623:00BBC Asian Network
