Flushing Town Hall to Present US Debut of

PunjabTronix

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Exciting Collaboration Between Music Producer DJ Swami, Punjabi Folk Musicians, and Filmmaker John Minton

-Cutting-edge live electronica meets Punjabi folk; tickets on sale at www.FlushingTownHall.org-

(Flushing, N.Y.) – On Saturday, March 10, technology will meet tradition as cutting-edge live electronica and digital technologies combine with the traditional sounds of Punjab when Flushing Town Hall presents PunjabTronix.

Mercury-nominated electronic music producer DJ Swami joins forces with Punjabi folk musicians (Vijay Yamla, Naresh Kukki, Dheera Singh, Gurtej Singh) to create an innovative musical and visual experience, combining dynamic electronic beats with the raw energetic DNA of Punjab.

“We are delighted to be presenting PunjabTronix, a brand new, exciting contemporary music project where technology meets raw Punjabi folk music,” said Jaswinder Singh, Project Producer and Director of Asian Arts Agency. “This international collaboration between the exceptionally talented British and Indian artists is receiving global attention from audiences and promoters. I am looking forward to our US debut at Flushing Town Hall, and expect that audiences will have a great time enjoying this new music performance.”

You can get a taste of Punjabtronix in this video.

Mixing live electronic dance music with Punjabi dhol drums, vocals, stringed instruments and the hypnotic sounding double flute algoza, the powerful distinct rhythms and traditional melodies of the Punjab will interact creatively with live electronic drum machines, synthesiser arpeggios and basslines. And, completing the unique musical and visual event will be visual projections of original digital animations and cinematic Punjabi imagery, produced by filmmaker John Minton.

Tickets to the concert – which begins at 8:00 PM – are $16, and $10 for members and students. You can purchase tickets here.

PunjabTronix is a new project produced and commissioned by Asian Arts Agency to respond to Reimagine India 2017, a cultural exchange program designed to develop creative collaborations between artists from England and India. PunjabTronix, which is funded by Reimagine India and is part of UK/India Year of Culture 2017 and the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Independence of India, is supported by Arts Council England and British Council.

The event features a collaboration between:

• DJ Swami: Mercury-nominated DJ Swami, from production and co-writing the journey of Swami (So Who AM I?), has always been to explore the hybrid diaspora identity, finding synergy and pushing the boundaries of British and Indian contemporary music to create exciting new musical milestones; the Swami sound has been built on pioneering British Indian influenced popular music over the past 20 years. Swami’s unique creative perspective and interpretations of fusing western popular/contemporary and Indian music has been honored worldwide, with Ivor Novello (1993), Mercury Music Prize (1993) and Grammy (2004) nominations to winning Best Producer at the UK Asian Music Awards (2005 and 2008).
• Vijay Yamla: The grandson of celebrated Punjabi folk singer, Yamla Jatt, Vijay is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist who will bring his vast musical experience to the project, playing traditional Punjabi instruments such as Tumbi, Tumba, Algoza and Bugchu.
• John Minton: Bristol-based UK filmmaker, John Minton is known for his experimental, lo-fi, and hallucinatory style. Characterized by grainy super-8 textures, a palette of iridescent, glowing hues, and mesmerizingly evocative imagery. Minton’s distinctive visual flair has lent itself to music videos for Noel Gallagher, Portishead, and Savages amongst others. The vast majority of John’s work exists in the Live circuit as seen this year on Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Bird’s world tour and with Portishead where John has performed Live Tour Visuals since 2007. Highlights of which include Glastonbury’s Other Stage in 2013 and Coachella Headline in 2008. Aside from the music world, John also edited the BAFTA winning Short ‘September’ (Dir: Esther May Campbell 2009).

Flushing Town Hall is accessible by car, bus, train and foot – located a short distance from the 7 train – at 137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing, Queens. Access for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility is available.

This season, Flushing Town Hall is opening its doors to teenagers – for FREE. Under the “Teen Access Program”, all 13- to 19-year-old boys and girls (whether a member or not) will be welcomed to attend any performance for free. The program is designed to appeal to students and help foster a greater love in the arts and culture. Tickets are on sale now at www.flushingtownhall.org.