Dialled In Launches Record Label in Partnership With Island-EMI’s The Collective, Signs Excise Dept and Ahadadream (EXCLUSIVE)

Dialled In, a prominent platform for South Asian culture, has announced the creation of Dialled In Records, a new London-based record label. Established in partnership with The Collective—an entrepreneurial A&R imprint under the Universal Music Group U.K. umbrella at Island-EMI—the label's core mission is to nurture and propel South Asian musical talent across a wide spectrum of genres. This strategic move represents a significant step in providing dedicated infrastructure for artists from this vibrant cultural sphere.

The label's first roster features two distinct acts, signaling its broad artistic vision. One is Ahadadream, a co-founder of Dialled In himself. Born in Karachi and moving to the U.K. at age twelve, Ahadadream has carved out a notable space in the British electronic scene, garnering support from major figures like Skrillex; their collaboration "Bass Dhol," also featuring Raf Saperra, serves as the label's debut single. The other inaugural signing is Excise Dept, a multidisciplinary collective based in New Delhi and Mumbai. Their sound, which fuses experimental electronics with explorations of South Asian identity through singing and rapping in multiple regional languages, underscores the label's commitment to working with artists based directly on the subcontinent, not solely those within the global diaspora.

Dialled In co-founder Dhruva Balram described the launch as the natural endpoint of a five-year journey building a comprehensive cultural ecosystem. "This isn't just a label launch," Balram stated. "It's a statement about what's possible when you build from within the culture, with the right people and refuse to compromise." This infrastructure now spans live events, touring, artist development, and, with this announcement, recorded music. The partnership with The Collective was driven by a shared vision for innovation. Callum Ross, The Collective's A&R director, who comes from an Indian family, noted, "Their take on what South Asian music is today is so refreshing—it actively challenges and breaks outdated stereotypes." Industry experts suggest this model of a culturally-rooted platform partnering with a major label's agile imprint could become a blueprint for authentic artist development in other global music scenes.

Nicola Spokes, Managing Director of The Collective at Island-EMI, highlighted Dialled In's proven track record and focused approach. She praised the platform's "deep commitment to signing, developing and breaking artists on the global stage," calling the label's launch "a truly special moment." Dialled In was founded five years ago by a group of South Asian entrepreneurs, curators, and music professionals and has since become a fixture in the U.K.'s cultural landscape. Its programming has reached prestigious institutions like Glastonbury, the Barbican, and the V&A, while maintaining strong connections to grassroots community venues.

The new venture will be officially celebrated at the Dialled In 5th Birthday Festival on May 30th. This one-day event, expected to draw 3,000 attendees, will take over eight venues in London's Dalston neighborhood and feature a lineup of international South Asian acts, providing an immediate and powerful showcase for the label's community-driven ethos.