Yung Singh announces debut Asia Tour

Currently one of the most exciting DJs touring the globe, Punjabi-Sikh-Londoner Yung Singh has gone through era-defining moments for both himself and his Desi roots that he proudly represents through his boisterous sets.

It would be unfair to pigeonhole the artist’s musical output to solely his South Asian roots — Yung Singh effortlessly traverses the urban spectrum of garage, UK funky, grime, jungle and drum’n’bass, never failing to get a roaring response with hands in the air, every single time.

“People are like: how am I supposed to define this guy?” Singh chuckles. “I am never going to allow myself to get boxed in”

Read this next: Exploring identity: What does it mean to be a South Asian in the UK in 2021?

With Asia’s dance floors currently fired up, Yung Singh’s forthcoming summer tour across the region should thrill some itchy toes.

Read this next: “It’s a family affair”: South Asian clubbers share what the dancefloor means to them

He brings with him to Asia serious heat from some of the biggest and most respected festivals around the world, with an affirmation of legendary sets at Horst & Dour in Belgium to Barcelona’s Sónar, Lyon’s Nuits Sonores, and a ground-breaking debut at Panorama Bar in Berghain. And not to forget his epic Glastonbury performances. Back in February earlier this year, Yung Singh hosted four shows for a BBC Radio 1 Residency, showcasing the Punjabi sounds that shaped him.

To add to the rising artist’s rapidly-stacking accolades, Singh has made his responsibility to his Punjabi-Sikh heritage known through sets that are idiosyncratic of the South Asian musical diaspora, as well as through his voice behind the scenes. In 2021, Yung Singh partnered with Ministry of Sound to produce ‘The Birth of Punjabi Garage’, a documentary that explores identity, race, culture and art through the lens of the genre, features unseen home studio footage and honours the pioneering sounds of Surinder Rattan, RDB, Metz n Trix, Indy Sagu and Yung Singh himself.

Read this next: Into the light: Iyre is uplifting South Asia’s drum ‘n’ bass scene

The documentary film was presented as a first of its kind to focus on the genre, with Yung Singh confirming via Twitter that this project only scrapes the surface of the scene’s deep history, which grew from the time of the Daytimer raves in the 1980s, traversed the Asian Underground scene in the 1990s and blossomed into the UK Bhangra hype of the 00s.

Are you ready for Yung Singh's debut Asia Tour? With support from Mixmag Asia, here are his dates across the region:

July 28, Fuji Rock Festival, Niigita, Japan
July 29, Quality Goods Club, Hong Kong
August 2, Kyo, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
August 3, Mandala Club, Singapore
August 4, MDLR, Singapore
August 5, Old Man's, Bali, Indonesia
August 9, Sing Sing Theatre, Bangkok, Thailand

Follow Yung Singh on Instagram for updates and more information on his upcoming Asia Tour.

Arun Ramanathan is Mixmag Asia’s Director. Follow him on Instagram.