"Persian Electronic Music: Yesterday and Today, 1966-2006"

Expecting a compilation of various Iranian electronic artists from the past 40 years, I was a little disappointed to discover that this two-disc set only covers two artists, the older Alireza Mashayekhi and the more recent Ata Ebtekar, aka Sote. Even so, the music found within is as wild and vivid as anything I could have hoped for and a decent enough introduction to some of the ideas at work in avant-garde Iranian music.

 

Sub Rosa

Iran may not be the first place one thinks of when considering electronic music, but it's not exactly without precedent. When Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi hosted grand festivities celebrating 2,500 years of the Persian empire, he commissioned an electronic composition from Iannis Xenakis that was played over 59 loudspeakers positioned throughout the ruins of Persepolis and accompanied by a parade and light show. It was perhaps the most ambitious music spectacle since Edgar Varèse's "Poème Electronique" broadcast from the 425 speakers of the Philips Pavilion at the 1958 World's Fair. With world leaders and royalty attending this lavish celebration, they were an unusual audience considering that Xenakis' piece likely sounded like mere noise to casual listeners. Even though the Shah was deposed shortly thereafter and the country since took a different turn politically, Iran still has interest in electronic music and its own masters of the form.

Alireza Mashayekhi is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of modern music in Iran. Educated both in his home country and in Europe, particularly Vienna and the Netherlands, he retained a fondness for his own culture but also believed that multiculturalism was an important way to explore truth and its contradictions. Because of this, his work throughout the years takes on a variety of styles, some influenced by Persian music, some not, and some containing elements of both. While "Mithra" contains Persian melodies, they are presented in a huge space with swells of reverb as if transmitted through layers of dreams. On the other hand, "Development 2" is intended to be indifferent to theme, which is reflected in its percolating buzzes and unanticipated clouds of random tones. "East-West" and "Chahargah 1" are both inspired by Iranian music yet are hardly traditional, while "Panoptikum 70" and "Stratosphaere 1" defy all anticipations and could even be considered frightening by the unwary. Mashayekhi's work is absolutely fascinating and worthy of comparison to that of any other electronic composer who's better known in the West.

While his music is more than enough to absorb on its own, there's a second disc included of contemporary music from Ata Ebtekar. Much of his work revolves around traditional Persian scales that are often deconstructed and presented in new ways. His music differs in that much of it has a crystalline timbre and relies a lot more on fluid movement. There is also a formality to his work that links it to his country's past musical traditions. Songs like "Synthetic Overture (Satan's Lullaby)," "Picture of a Whisper," and "Cry" are based on old Iranian folk songs but performed on modern electronic equipment. "Saint Homayun" is inspired by Persian modes, "Micro Tuning" deals with the idea of using Iranian intervals of quarter steps rather than the Western tradition of half steps, and "Nashid" is about an ancient musician who invented an Iranian song form. Because all of these subjects are so closely linked to Iranian musical structure and compositional traditions, much of the music has the feel of an academic exercise. There's a certain restraint to Ebtekar's music, and while it may suit his preoccupations, it's not nearly as enjoyable to someone like myself who doesn't share them.

Perhaps comparing the two composers is inevitable in this context. I largely prefer the originality and maturity of Mashayekhi's work and the way he sculpts sound. In contrast, even though Ebtekar's music has better clarity, it lacks much of Mashayekhi's textural complexity and innovation. I'm not disappointed that the second disc was included, but I would have preferred more music from Mashayekhi instead. Even better would have been some selections from a wider variety of artists, yet the music on this compilation, especially the first disc, is still something to be treasured.

samples:

• Alireza Mashayekhi - Mithra
• Alireza Mashayekhi - Development 2
• Ata Ebtekar - Nashid