Broadcast – Music by Asnam L. Masrah, Palestine

July 12th – the sweetest vocals from Ramallah by singer /songwriter Asnam L. Masrah, أصنام المسرح, with her series of solo home-made recordings and electronica collaborations with Muqata’a (Boycott). Interview below.  In Arabic her lyrics: Complex questions and cloudy mysteries emptiness judging consequences errors Should I write about our present society? or should I go … Continue reading →

Electronic Music From Tehran, The Wire Magazine

The Wire Magazine‘s October 2016 issue, 392, features this article on the electronic music being made in Iran today. The Wire maintains its quality of work via magazine purchases, but as it is not deliverable in Iran, they have agreed for us to post it here. The article is also available as .pdf, hosted on … Continue reading →

New Podcast: Six Pillars – New Music from Iran VI

This and next episode on Six Pillars we commissioned two shows from Tehran-based producer Siavash Amini, aka The Waterfront. This week we looks at new ambient music released from Iran in 2014. Next Tuesday we’ll be hearing about IDM/Techno and noise from Amini. Earlier episodes of New Music from Iran, and this time last year … Continue reading →

Remixed in Egypt

Based in Egypt, video remixer and music producer BluFrank is developing his aesthetic based on 80s North African pop culture and early computer programming. Naturally there are elements of Italo disco (check his Imagination Flashback mix below) and Arab pop as well as synth pop and old skool house, but with his work still being … Continue reading →

Currently Listening to…Sepehr Haghighi

Recently released is this first album (DIY, 95 hard copies for sale) from our Iran-UK Sonics Residency participantsSepehrHaghighi in Rasht. At our behest he’s also created aBandcamp page for the album where you can pay what you will. This instrumental album contains 13 tracks of electronic compositions. Already renowned for an analytical approach to contemporary … Continue reading →

#IranUKSonics on World Service

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Interview – DJ Pretentious, Egypt

Last week we played out two tracks from Egypt that felt like a rare find. DJ Pretentious had diligently and with a little humour even, played the melody line of Get Lucky on the oud, the stringed instrument that fathered the lute. In theory the idea of reworking Daft Punk at all might sound flat, … Continue reading →

This Week’s Six Pillars Show – MENA Trollstep

Tonight we hear what sounds very much like Trollstep from Iran, a genre of music that was covered when it was still new in our sister radio show Free Lab Radio. Trollstep is the product of very young producers from USA who explore music online and spend their days trolling on internet forums. Musically they … Continue reading →

New Podcast – Malay Iranians

Iranian musician Behrooz Azad sends us his selection of music currently being made by Iranians in Malaysia, of which he is one. You can hear experimental instrumentation, strains of exploratory electronica and even psychedelia here, while predictable genres such as rock (soft and hard) are also very present.  We also asked Behrooz, tens of thousands … Continue reading →

Currently Listening To…Alex Ak, Iran

Heavily involving with SlomoGang a bunch of hip hop and graffiti artists in Tehran, founder Alex Ak is himself a young producer with a good few releases under his belt. Half Italian, half-Iranian Alex Ak produces and writes all his music himself , a good deal of which up till now has been hip hop … Continue reading →