Listen to a mix from DAYTIMERS' Provhat Rahman inspired by the birth of UK Bhangra

Throughout the '80s and '90s, daytime raves helped bring South Asian youth from across the UK into the dance music fold; an alternative to mainstream clubbing, these parties were often held in secret, and in the afternoon, giving young people of the South Asian diaspora a place to get together and let go, away from parents' watchful eyes. The parties became synonymous with UK Bhangra; a fusion of drum 'n' bass, R&B, and Punjabi folk music that bolstered the popularity of daytime raves back then, and continues to inspire young South Asian clubbers to this day.

Bradford acted as a focal point for both daytime raves and UK Banghra, a legacy that was celebrated throughout 2025 as part of the Yorkshire city's UK City of Culture programme. Alongside various collaborations with South Asian collectives, November saw the debut of Built By Sound, a mixed reality installation that transports audiences back to the birth of the daytimers movement. 

Read this next: How daytime raves introduced clubbing to a generation of young British South Asians

Produced as a collaboration between immersive story studio No Ghost and South Asian platform Dialled In, Built By Sound features personal testimonies, archival footage, and a soundtrack created by DAYTIMERS founder Provhat Rahman to tell the story of how daytime parties helped young South Asians carve out their identity and stand in resistance against racism and oppression. 

Diving into these musical histories to write this score has been a real gift," says Rahman. "Uncovering just how boundary-pushing Bradford's youth were across DJing and community organising meant there was never any shortage of inspiration to draw on."

Inspired by the soundtrack he created for Built By Sound, Rahman has put together a special one-off mix that traces back the origins of the South Asian daytimers movement. "This mix runs through some of the huge range of sounds that fed into the birth of UK Bhangra and the halls of the early Daytimer events in Bradford," he says. 

"Rooted in a traditional core of tumbi and dhol, these sounds were used as a centre point to find common ground with boom bap, early electro, synth pop, dub, ska and beyond. Alongside this are some of my favourite ambient and trip-hop tracks that inspired the more atmospheric compositions for Built By Sound's score." You can listen to the mix and read the accompanying interview with Provhat Rahman below. 

Can you tell us a bit about the 'Built By Sound' installation for Bradford City of Culture?

Built by Sound is a mixed reality experience that allows audiences to physically step into the incredible stories of Bradford's youth of the late '80s and early '90s. From clashes with the National Front to the seminal Daytimers rave scene, it offers a truly immersive way to be surrounded by the groundbreaking political and musical movements that were pioneered in the North at the time.

Read this next: How Asian Dub Foundation's stand against racism connected generations of British Asians

When did the process of creating your score for the installation begin? What were your inspirations? 

The process properly began in the summer of this year. Speaking to the pirate radio DJs around at the time and founders of the Daytimers scene to get an insight into exactly which tracks were being played through the airwaves & in those packed out community halls. A special shout-out to Mick and Moss, who curated huge playlists for me to draw inspiration from. Listening to artists like A.S. Kang played a huge part in helping me understand how musicians at the time were merging Bhangra with synthesisers and drum machines, as well as dub and reggae influences. 

When did you first become interested in the history of these genres/where has that journey taken you?

It was around 2020 that I really started looking into the scene properly. It really helped me realise that this whole concept of mixing traditional South Asian sounds with dance and electronic music has such a deeply rooted history in the UK, and knowing that has massively informed how I speak about and understand the scene of today. So much of the story of the UK’s musical history feels so London-centric, so finding out that this was pioneered in the North made it even more special. 

How important is it for you to ensure the current DAYTIMERS pays tribute to the original daytime rave scene?

Building DAYTIMERS without the foundations built by previous generations would’ve been hugely different. They are the reason why South Asian’s even began to be accepted in the mainstream club environment. The growing popularity of the original Daytimers scene spread across the whole country, eventually becoming a staple part of UK nightlife. They will have always been the first to kick down that door so we at the very least owe it to them to never stop telling their stories.

Read this next: 10 South Asian diaspora dance music collectives you need to know

Do you think Bradford's foundational role in UK Bhangra is sometimes overlooked? Why do you think that is?

I think it comes back to the London-centric lens that the UK’s music history is regularly told through. You see similar things happen with genres like bassline and trip hop, where the regional credit is spoken about much less often. That’s why these stories feel so important to tell.  

Are there any plans to take the 'Built By Sound' installation further afield? 

Yes, we’d love to be able to tour it around the rest of the UK and, following that, internationally. This story resonates far beyond just those who have some personal connection to it, so we’d love to tell it to as wide an audience as possible.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X

Tracklist: 
William Basinski – d|p 1.1
Aphex Twin – I
Ravi Shankar – Raga Kameshwari (Alap, Jod, Gat in Jhaptal)
Massive Attack – Risingson
Ranjit Mani – Putt Sardara De
Portishead – Mysterons
Alaap – Bhabiyé Ni Bhabiyé
The Pharcyde – 4 Better Or 4 Worse
Mobb Deep – Stomp Em Out
INXS – Need You Tonight
Kuldeep Manak – Ghadiya Milade Kehndi 
Criminal Element Orchestra / Arthur Baker / Will Downing – Tim Me’s Loose
A Guy Called Gerald – In The Beginning
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock
A.S. Kang – Boliyan 1
Jah Shaka Meets Aswad – Aswad Special
King Tubby & The Aggrovators – Natty Dub
Dennis Alcapone – East 2 West (Just A Dream)
The Specials – Nite Klub
Apna Sangeet / Sardara S. Gill / Amarjit Sidhu – Apna Sangeet Vaje Apna Sangeet