A tropical mix of dancehall, reggaeton and club music from the Daytimers member.
As a member of DJ and producer collective Daytimers, Midlands-born-selector Yung Singh is one of a fresh generation of artists placing the spotlight on music from the South Asian diaspora. Since Daytimers launched in late 2020, the UK-wide collective has brought emerging artists to the fore while highlighting the legacy of South Asian dance music.
As he was growing up, Yung Singh’s musical influences included the Punjabi music played by his parents, ’90s house and jungle played by his sisters and the commercial sounds of South Asian artists such as Panjabi MC. But it was grime and UK garage that he played when he began DJing after moving to London, and as the first Covid-19 lockdown hit in 2020, he found himself reflecting on his Punjabi culture.
The result was his Sounds of Punjabi Garage mix for Shuffle ‘n’ Swing, which focused on the underground Punjabi garage scene of the late ’90s and early ’00s. It was a breakthrough moment for Yung Singh, who gained sets on Rinse FM and BBC Asian Network, as well as slots at Fabric and a must-see set at Boiler Room Festival as events opened up across the UK. The mix also coincided with the first compilation from Daytimers, which has continued to release collections of South Asian club music.
Although garage is a key part of Yung Singh’s musical identity, his inquisitive sets draw on genres from across the musical landscape, including dancehall, reggaeton, R&B and hip-hop – genres that are showcased in his essential Fact Mix, which includes music from Florentino, Sean Paul, Merca Bae, NA DJ, DJ Plead and more.
“The driving force behind this mix was to make sure I explored a different set of sounds to what I think many people would be expecting, whilst keeping very much in the essence of what I listen to and stuff that I play,” Yung Singh says. “Most importantly it’s the sort of stuff that I would play if I was somewhere a bit tropical. At this time of year and given circumstances, a bit of escapism is always welcome.”
Follow Yung Singh on Instagram and SoundCloud.
Tracklist:
Merca Bae – ‘Widow’
AP Dhillon – ‘Droptop’
Robbie and Sly – ‘Why Dont You’ (ft. Mr. G on Tabla Riddim)
Manuka Honey – ‘Noise Complaint’
Bounty Killer – ‘Do You See’
Santana – ‘Maria Maria’ (ft. The Product G&B)
Erika De Casier – ‘Polite’
Goldtooth – ‘Kiravani’
Drake – ‘The Motto (Intro – Clean)’ ft. Lil Wayne
Merca Bae & Nick León – ‘Agua’
Jasmine Sandlas & Manny Sandhu – ‘Panjeba’
Florentino – ‘Buzz’
Sean Paul – ‘Gimme the Light’
Sangre Nueva – ‘Sola’
Danny English & Egg Nogg – ‘Party Time’
Saadaan – ‘Soulful Pakora Slap’
Dr Zeus – ‘Friends Chilling’ (ft. Shortie and Lehmber)
Arthur Read (Arma) – ‘2011 Supreme Hat’
Merca Bae – ‘Bubbaloo’
NA DJ – ‘Buzz’
Aman Hayer – ‘Dil Nai Lagda’
DJ Plead – ‘Ya Baba’
Capleton – ‘In Her Heart’
Listen next: Fact Mix 840: Time Is Away
