See the video here!

x1x film are back with yet another groundbreaking and soon to be "The most talked about music video of 2006" for Play-az Lab from their forthcoming debut album entitled 'The Property Of Play-az Lab'. Shot entirely at the x1x Animation Studio's the guys have again utilized the greenscreen technology to give the Play-az Lab team the very biggest and most ambitious music video ever seen in the UK Asian music scene. The video is set in the future and has the Play-az Lab heading towards Mars to recruit another member to their team. x1x fully rendered all the 3D environments including the Play-az Lab space ship using state of the art 3D software to give it the sci-fi look that the team had so wanted to achieve.

x1x film have almost overnight become one of the most talked about video producers in the music scene and have come out of nowhere to deliver some of the best videos produced ever. The guys over at x1x film have proved that with alittle talent and alot of heart it is possible to make the impossible.

The video has now been completed and is due for release on all major asian music channels in September, Which will be shortly followed by the album's release. To Keep updated, Watch this space for more info.....

With so many new artist being introduced into the South Asian music scene everyday, only a handful of them become successful. Artists such as Sukshinder Shinda, Mentor and RDB have made a direct impact on the South Asian music platform with their own distinctive styles. However, this time it's a young producer and singer from Canada named Bob Mann who is bringing his mix of bhangra fusion to the scene and creating something that is definitely very unique and sure to have an impact on the international music scene.

Bob Mann first got into music at the age of 15 as a DJ for one of the biggest music companies in North America. His first gig as a DJ was opening for the pioneer of mix albums, Bally Sagoo, at the infamous Enterprise Hall. Once he got on stage for the first time and felt the rush of adrenaline that it gave him, Bob knew that he wanted a career in the music industry. Bob continued to DJ and opened for other acts like DCS, Safri Boys, XLNC and Shaktee just to name a few. A new opportunity was about to be presented to Bob Mann and the rest is history.

Bob Mann took his first crack at producing back in 1996 when he went to a studio and a record company mentioned doing remixes of some old Kuldip Manak songs. Bob Mann immediately jumped at the opportunity and asked to lead the project. Once the opportunity was given to him, he did not fail to deliver. At the age of 16 he co-produced the hit album titled "One and Only Kuldip Manak Remixes" with his brother. This album was one the most successful projects that the company had put forth, in fact this album still sells today. After the release of the album Bob Mann had decided to go back to school and take an audio engineering program so that he could refine his talent.

Upon finishing school and receiving his diploma for audio engineering he still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to do more than just listen to songs all day. Bob wanted to create them and more importantly wanted to express himself through his own vocals. That's when he decided to take singing lessons with Professor Gurdev Singh Phull Ji. Here Bob developed his singing abilities but still wanted to express his own unique style so he decided he should change teachers. Bob then met a teacher that would be able to work with his tone and range giving him the confidence that he needed. He found all this in Sashi Lata-Virk Ji who is well known and respected in the South Asian music community. Bob reflects today and can say that without the help of both teachers he wouldn't be able to pursue his true passion.

Once Bob Mann learned how to use his talents effectively he went into the basement of his parent's house and started to work on an album. Half way into the project he realized that the basement studio wasn't going to cut it. He finally opened his own studio, Illicit Substance Productions. This time it was different, he knew that he didn't want to remix other artists' work, Bob Mann wanted to start his music from scratch, creating something from nothing. Packed with the knowledge that he gained through years of training he created his debut album titled ILLICIT SUBSTANCE. In this album he poured everything that he had in him, creating something that one can easily say is going to change the way people listen to South Asian music. The title itself explains the feeling that music gives to Bob and that's the same feeling he tries to convey to his audience in tracks like Ni Ajja feat. Battle K.A.T.T and Morni feat. Blitzkrieg. While these tracks cater to the younger generation, he also wanted to do tracks that would appeal to the older generation, a generation that had inspired and influenced him. With the
help of Harpreet Randhawa, Bob Mann went into the studio and recorded a track that he felt would work. The title of that track is Lummi. This is the type of song that is going to rock dance floors all over the world.

Bob Mann knew that singing in a studio was one thing, but to sing in front of a live audience was another. He wanted to prove that he can also perform. Bob did his first live performance as a singer in Vancouver on October 29, 2004 as an opening act for RDB. Bob got the response he needed, instantly being accepted by the crowd and intriguing the other artists with his inimitable style. His second gig was another opening act, this time it was for Harbhajan Talwar, again the crowd responded with great enthusiasm, proving to himself and others that the first show was no fluke. The last two gigs that Bob Mann did were for the Rishi Rich Project. People may have bought tickets to see Juggy D, Jay Sean and Rishi Rich perform however they received an extra treat when Bob Mann went on stage. The sold out crowds in Vancouver and Edmonton were amazed to see an artist from Canada do such a tremendous job.

While everyone in the world is looking towards England for new talent, they might easily forget that Canada, mainly Surrey, has produced some of the biggest artists in the industry today. Bob Mann is making sure that doesn't change. He knows that he represents the Canadian born generation and is making it a priority to succeed at being one of the biggest artists to come out of Canada and is musically driven to prove that.

Thought Asians only liked cricket ? Wrong!
Nihal Kicks Off the new Premiership season on the BBC Asian Network Every Saturday throughout the season from 3-5pm

BBC Asian Network DJ Nihal starts the new football season with a bang on August 19th introducing a new Desi flavour to the Premiership, promising big names like you've never heard them before.

Nihal, the on air partner of Bobby Friction on Radio 1 will bring a constant stream of footy news, star interviews goal alerts and general mayhem to the Asian Network airwaves.

The Essex geezer who went to the same school as his Tottenham hero Glenn Hoddle will bring his earthy charm to a football show like no other.

In the first week Nihal offers a chance to win the Premiership Trophy in your house club workplace or school. Yes the real one that Chelsea won last season !

The show also features :

* The Kickin' Line - where listeners vent their spleen about the Football issues of the day

* Informer - Premiership Players dish the dirt on their teammates. Who has the worst dress sense? Who is the most bling? Who don't you want to be stuck in a lift with?

* The Desi Doctor - who offers tips style advice and generally interferes with the cream of Premiership Talent

And Kicking Off will give listeners a chance to win Premiership tickets each week

Building on the close relationship between football and music, Nihal will introduce exclusive plays of new tracks to the Premierships finest, he said:

"We're going to play them Asian tracks and see which ones they rate and which ones they don't like as much! Music is a great in with players; they love to club, they love to go out and dance and some of them are very, very knowledgeable about music"

Kicking off with Nihal starts on August 19th at 3pm to 5pm on the BBC Asian Network on DAB radio

You can listen live to The BBC Asian Network via DAB radio, online at www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork and MW frequency in the Midlands and via digital cable on channels Sky Digital 869, Telewest & Broadband 912, NTL 867 and Freeview 709.

ONE CONCEPTS

Creating and advising with(in) the UK Asian music industry

Immediate Press Release

After the successful and rolling exhibition SOHO ROAD TO THE PUNJAB, the time has come for Boy Chana to get into production of the music he has played as a deejay and listened to as a journalist. After 15 years of writing news and reviews on the UK Asian music scene Boy Chana will be heading towards producing an album. But first comes the research.

The album called BOY CHANA Presents..desi.com 2, takes a different spin on the new music albums being churned out by 'ghost producers' .Instead of bounding together songs by ghost producers Boy Chana has been working alongside Birmingham based record company Music World and has researched this project over 12 months to create a unique and personal spin on today’s musical genre of Desi Dancefloor music.

Boy Chana has chosen the producers, the songs and the singers to create the second in the series of desi.com and like its debut album it will be the spring board for new talent from Punjab and talented producers in the U.K.

Producers  - Ravi Bal - Kully (rdb ) - D Arry (desi.com ghost producer)
Singers - Balwinder Matewaria ( dhol cutz )- Surinder Shinda ( original Punjabi rapper )- Jaswinder Lalli - Aman Deol

The album BOY CHANA presents  Desi.Com2 is a test for Boy Chana who has longed to produce in a studio and create an album for himself to get those he has reviewed as a radio jock and journalist to turn the tables and review 'his' work. By working with some talented producers who have worked with some of the best vocalists and bands in the U,K and abroad. Boy Chana is picking up tips on production and using his Roadshow experience to tailor the songs he will be producing for his debut album to the the dancefloors and sound systems across the globe.

The debut album for BOY CHANA will be released for late in 2006.

Video is on rotation on all music television channels.
  
Brief History

• 1987 – 1992 – Apna Radio – New Music Presenter/Producer
• 1989 – 1998 - Eastern Eye – Midlands correspondent and Music Editor
• 1995 – 1998 - Radio XL – Youth and New Music Programme producer/Presenter
• 1996 – 2002 - Meri Boli Magazine – Associate Editor
• Resident deejay at first Asian weekly club night in Birmingham – Snobs – Hot’n’Spicy
• Member of voting panels on Asian Music Awards, Bhangra Accolades & Asian DJ Awards

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR
ALBUM: RISE
OUT NOW

Rise, Anoushka Shankar's fourth album for Angel Records, marks a defining moment in the career of the young woman whose surname is synonymous with Indian music. Having previously recorded strictly in the classical tradition of her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, Anoushka truly emerges as a potent creative force with her newest release. It's very much my own music and my journey and who I am right now, says Anoushka, who turned 24 in June. I felt like I was rising into that. On a personal level, Rise signifies growth. It was a step up for me. Not even up, just more into my own. On Rise which was composed, produced and arranged by Anoushka she collaborated with a select crew of virtuoso Eastern and Western musicians wielding a variety of both acoustic and electronic instruments, often engaging in unexpected ways to create tantalizing new sounds. And while Anoushka's own sitar playing has evolved measurably”she learned at the feet of the master, after all” there are a couple of tracks on Rise on which she eschews the sitar all together in favor of allowing her voice to be heard by way of her compositions and arrangements instead. The result is a stunning and evocative work that will surely catapult Anoushka Shankar into the vanguard of the world music scene.

Although Rise is a bold departure for Anoushka and she is cognizant of her expanding horizons as an artist since embarking on the project, she ensures that, like her previous work, it is a very Indian album. Coming into my own in
this way musically has made me a better sitar player, but Rise is something that can connect to a lot more people. Ravi Shankar once commented to an interviewer, I'm waiting for the day when people call me Anoushka's father. Anoushka blushes humbly at the thought. You can't compare me to a master of any kind, she says. I'm not my father by any means. But this album does feel much closer to me than anything I've done before.

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR's album Rise is out now.

RISHI RICH

Debut Album ‘THE PROJECT’ released on August 7th 2006.

UK: Rishi Rich - the UK Asian super producer who shot to fame through his innovative fusion of Asian and urban sounds – releases his eagerly anticipated debut album ‘The Project’ through 2Point9 Records on August 7th. The first single from the album - ‘PUSH IT UP (AAJA KURIEH)’ features Jay Sean and Juggy D.

Rishi is already one of the leading lights on the UK music scene and is well established through his previous work producing and remixing the likes of Mary J Blige, Britney Spears, Misteeq and Craig David. He has created a unique sound that brings together traditional Indian sounds and hip-hop infused beats. These sounds have, over the past few years, influenced many renowned artists including Missy Elliot, Timbaland and Dr Dre.

Shortly after joining 2Point9 Records in 2003, Rishi formed the Rishi Rich Project, a collective aimed at showcasing new artists. The first single ‘Dance With You (‘Nachna Tere Naal)’  introduced R&B singer Jay Sean and Punjabi vocalist Juggy D, and went to No.12 in the UK charts. Jay Sean’s Rishi Rich-produced debut album ‘Me Against Myself’ followed, spawning 2 UK Top 10 singles, going multi-platinum in India and selling over 300,000 units worldwide.

‘THE PROJECT’ is the ultimate showcase for Rishi’s diverse production style, and is a testament to his ability to both nurture new talent and collaborate in fresh and innovative ways with established artists.

The culmination of a year in the studio with an global roster of artists, the album includes collaborations with some of the UK’s brightest stars (So Solid Crew hype man JD aka Dready and Jay Sean) and introduces a new line-up of international talent (including Reggaton artist Mr Phillips, French-Canadian R&B vocalist Chhaya, Bajan singer Alison Hines, USA singer Mana from Timbaland’s camp, UK Urban artists Baby Blue and J2K & Norwegian-Pakistani vocalist Rafaqat Ali Khan). With ‘The Project’ Rishi’s trademark fusion of bhangra, traditional Indian music and urban beats has been extended to take in dancehall, reggaeton and soca, alongside lyrics in Punjabi, Hindi, French & English.

A groundbreaking blend of Bhangra, Hip Hop and Reggaeton - with additional production from the Luny Tunes camp, the hit-makers behind Daddy Yankee’s world-wide hit ‘Gasolina’ and leading lights on the burgeoning Reggaeton scene – ‘Push It Up (Aaja Kurieh)’ and follow up future hit ‘Stomp’ perfectly reflect the album’s global flavour. It’s also an upfront taster of what’s in store for Autumn 2006, when Rishi Rich & Luny Tunes release their collaborative album ‘Bhangraton’, through 2Point9 Records UK & Mas Flow/Machete Records US.

‘The Project’ is released on 2point9 Records on August 7th and will be available from all good record shops (HMV, Virgin etc) The single ‘Push It Up (Aaja Kurieh) can be pre-ordered from www.2point9.com or by texting RR to 81330