Continuing our spotlight series called Favourite Finds, we ask some of our favourite DJs, collectors and selectors to tell us the story behind how they came across one of their most cherished records.

For the next instalment, we’ve asked DJ, broadcaster and curator, Rohan Rakhit, to give us an insight into a special record from his collection.

Resident on Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM with a weekly Tuesday show, Rohan is also part of the team at Brownswood Recordings. An esteemed DJ and curator known for his multi-genre approach, he is one of the main minds behind DAYTIMERS, a much-championed creative collective aimed at showcasing and celebrating South Asian artistry. A key figure in London’s underground scene, his sound and ethos have community and heritage at their core.

"Some records come into your life because you’re searching for them. Others appear unexpectedly, in the right place at the right time, and stay with you far longer than you anticipate. Remixed: Star Rise was one of those records for me.

I found it unexpectedly in April 2022 while digging at Ideal for Living in Stockholm - definitely more antique shop than record store. My partner at the time and I wandered in on a lazy Sunday stroll. It wasn’t something I had gone in looking for, and at first glance it didn’t register as a priority find. But the sleeve stopped me. There was something understated and quietly reverent about it, and once I clocked the name Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, my mouth dropped.

You don’t see many South Asian people in Scandinavia. Probably because of the cold. Or, in the case of Stockholm - despite the generous waves of refugees the city has housed over the past 30 years- those communities are rarely visible in the city centre. More often, they’re pushed to the edges, unless doing blue-collar labour. While the city itself is stunning, as a person of colour it can, at times, feel othering. Unexpectedly stumbling across this album quieted those feelings in my hangxious state and replaced them with excitement.

By that point, I was already familiar with Nusrat’s more widely known recordings. Like many people, my entry point had been Mustt Mustt, and that Massive Attack remix. His work helped introduce qawwali to Western audiences through collaboration and contemporary production, and Star Rise stands as a perfect example of his openness and willingness to explore new sonic worlds.

Timing is important here. We had started DAYTIMERS in early 2020, and the affirmation and pride in my heritage that came with it was extraordinary. I was actively seeking out and learning the once-hidden stories of Asian youth culture in the UK — from weddings, to daytime raves in town halls where kids would bunk off school, rave, then be home in time for homework and prayers, all unbeknownst to their unassuming parents — to the eventual emergence of the Asian Underground in the 90s.

A largely underappreciated chapter in British dance music history, British Asians spearheaded a new sound that reflected the duality of their identities. Sounds of heritage were reworked through the lens of British dance music: garage, drum and bass and electronic music flourished through the 90s and early 2000s. Artists like Talvin Singh would go on to define the movement, winning the Mercury Prize in 1998 with his debut album Ok.

Only later did the full context behind Star Rise reveal itself. The record was completed around the time of Nusrat’s passing in 1997, and listening with that knowledge fundamentally changes how it lands. What could have been a simple remix project instead feels like an unintended tribute.

Rather than handing Nusrat’s voice over to producers to reshape or modernise, Star Rise invites response. Artists from the Asian Underground - including Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney, Joi, State of Bengal and Asian Dub Foundation - build environments around his vocals rather than on top of them. The electronic elements are patient and spacious. Beats, basslines and textures exist to hold the voice, not compete with it.

The result is a true gem; a record that not only sits at the heart of the Asian Underground musical canon, but also celebrates the pride, creativity, and resilience of a heritage carried forward across generations."

Thanks to Rohan for taking the time out to tell us this story, be sure to give him a follow to keep uptodate with all his goings on.