British music broadcaster and club promoter Boiler Room held its inaugural event in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, on March 19 and 20, 2023. This two-day showcase was curated by the arts and entertainment collective Sublimation, with assistance from the British Council, the non-profit music, arts, and science festival Stihia, and the creative community MOC.
Boiler Room’s historic first edition in Uzbekistan featured exceptional performances by electronic artists as well as some of the country’s most notable musicians playing traditional instruments. First announced in February with a single-day show, a second date was later added to present savants of regional instruments such as tanbur, oud, nai, and doira.
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Day one was held at Physics-Sun Institute, one of the oldest institutes of the Academy of Sciences in Uzbekistan. The deck was staged inside the university’s parabolic reflector, also known as a solar furnace. Dedicated to electronic music, the venue tapped a local talent pool of electronic musicians, including DJ/producer and co-founder at Sublimation – Sabinē; software engineer, producer/DJ Xyarim; techno, trance, and acid DJ, and mainstay of the underground nightlife scene Maria Breslavets; and indie producer Josef Tumari.
Day two focused on traditional and contemporary art, with performers showcasing uniquely Central Asian instruments. This culturally vibrant concert stemmed from the State Museum of Folk and Applied Arts of Uzbekistan, an ideal setting as this Museum shelters over 4000 works of folk, traditional, and modern art from the nation.
Performances were helmed by the country’s most notable musicians, namely Azizbek Qalandarov, G’ulomjon Muhamedjonov, Javharbek Ismoilov, Mansur Ahmedov, Otabek Sobirjonov, and Toir Qo’ziyev. Attendees were exposed to the sounds of the Dutor (two-stringed plucked instrument), Doira (hand drum), Nai (wind instrument), and Oud (six-stringed instrument), to name a few.
Find below a few visuals of Boiler Room Uzbekistan –
