Black Star Liner, a Leeds‑based electronic dance group formed in 1994, consisted of Choque Hosein, Tom Salmon and Chris Harrop, whose early work fused sitar and tabla with dub and dance rhythms. Their breakthrough came with the Smoke the Prophets EP on Soundclash Records, earning NME’s single‑of‑the‑week award and leading to three BBC Radio 1 Peel Sessions broadcast in 1995. Signing with EXP, the trio released their debut album Yemen Cutta Connection in September 1996, which received critical praise and an “album of the week” accolade from The Guardian. After EXP’s dissolution, Black Star Liner joined WEA and issued their second album Bengali Bantam Youth Experience! in 1999, featuring the single "Superfly and Bindi"; the album was nominated for the 1999 Mercury Music Prize. The group’s work contributed to the Asian Underground movement, collaborating with Cornershop and appearing in Brimful of Asia. Black Star Liner disbanded in 2001, leaving a legacy of cross‑cultural electronic music.
