Five Years of Dialled In, the South Asian Arts Platform Turned Global Record Label

When London-based platform Dialled In brought ARRIVALS to Glastonbury in 2024 – the festival’s first-ever stage dedicated to South Asian arts – it marked a major turning point for live music. With artists Nabihah Iqbal, Raji Rags and more playing on a soundsystem built by Vedic Roots, the space became an example of how artists from the region and wider diaspora can take over an entire weekend of scheduling, rather than be confined to just one set.

Spotlighting underrepresented artists has been at the heart of Dialled In since its inception. Founded by a collective of DJs and producers, the boundary-pushing platform began by hosting events that championed the sounds coming out of South Asian subcultures, both homegrown and in the diaspora. “We wanted to celebrate our diversity,” exclaims founding member Ahad Elley (better known as Ahadadream) in conversation with Hypebeast. “I’ve always wanted to bring these artists to festivals where they can be exposed to a range of nuanced experiences and sounds from the vast international diaspora.”

“Unlocking that level of happiness and sheer joy that’s palpable in the crowd is what music and DJing is about.”

Having moved to London from Karachi, Pakistan, in his teens, Elley became all too familiar with the lack of club nights and festivals focused on South Asian creatives in their line-ups. Though he went on to play gigs during university, developing his high-energy rhythms and rolling percussion beats, it wasn’t until Dialled In’s first event that the DJ realized “how much the platform would resonate with people.” Saying, “I always remember seeing people getting emotional at the event. Unlocking that level of happiness and sheer joy that’s palpable in the crowd is what music and DJing is about.”

Today, the Dialled In community continues to grow. As well as taking over prestigious UK institutions like the Barbican and the V&A, it has hosted parties further afield in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. “The opportunities that have come our way have been incredible and being involved behind the scenes has led me to meet some amazing talent,” Elley reflects. “These conversations have only widened our network. All of that feeds into what we do.”

The platform now spans hip-hop, traditional vocalists, experimental jazz, and folk, going beyond its foundations in electronic music. Later this month, fans can experience the eclectic talent that Dialled In supports at its fifth anniversary festival. Taking place across several venues in East London, the event will welcome globally renowned headliners including Manara and Lifafa, alongside filmmakers, comedians and artists. Like the Glastonbury takeover, it’s set to be a vibrant celebration of South Asian creativity while maintaining the intimate, welcoming feel that its fans have grown to love.

“The most important thing for us is to showcase a wide range of artists,” says Elley. “We want to keep surprising people with unique tracks and celebrate diaspora stories whilst bridging the gap and continuing conversations with artists on the ground in South Asia.”

For the next step of its journey, Dialled In has also been quietly working on the launch of its very own record label. Announced just a few weeks ago, the label’s expertise draws from the intersection of club culture, alternative music and cross-cultural experimentation. “For a lot of artists, our shows were some of their first live performances,” the DJ explains on the launch. “The label will help to bring their stories and music to more eyes and ears.”

“We want to keep surprising people with unique tracks and celebrate diaspora stories…”

It comes as no surprise that one of the first releases from the record label is a new single from Elley with legendary DJ Skrillex and rapper Raf Saperra. Titled “Bass Dhol,” it layers classic Indian drums on a backdrop of electronic beats to create a carnival-ready rhythm that straddles traditional and contemporary music.

“[The single] is super authentic to the Dialled In story,” mentions Elley. “Skrillex came to the first-ever Dialled In event and we went back-to-back leading to ongoing collaboration. Raf Saperra is someone we’ve all collectively admired for a long time, so to work on a track which takes him outside of his comfort zone whilst still paying attention to the roots of the music felt perfect as the first release of the label.”

Bringing in the cultural movements it has discovered over the years, the second release comes from EXCISE DEPT, a multidisciplinary collective from Mumbai, India. Together, the two singles go hand-in-hand to illuminate the ethos that Dialled In has stood for since day one: platforming underground South Asian arts on the global stage.