VA - 'VISIONS OF DARKNESS (IN IRANIAN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC)'



CSR242CD (25 September 2017)
2 x CD in double jewelcase
Barcode: 0641871744961



A gathering of majestic, heavy, dark ambient, ritual, drone and noise music from Iran. Highly original and monolithic, with stunning production, Visions Of Darkness stands shoulder to shoulder with the giants of the Dark Ambient scene.

In a country where youth culture has been heavily restricted for so long, it’s significant when a cultural form such as this has an opportunity to reach a wider audience – aided by the abstract nature of dark ambient, drone and noise. In comparison, the dance music scene has a harder time taking root in Iran due to the illegality of men and women dancing in public together. However, the growth of the experimental electronic scene is going to be about more than a mere novelty reaction to a political paradigm shift. The darkness here is a consequence of the mood of the artists – darker after the country was put on a black list and more restrictions were applied to many things, including monetary transactions to and from Iran. As a consequence, Iranian artists have a great difficulty getting the resources to better develop their projects. Despite this, the enthusiasm and will for Iranian musicians to promote their music shines through.

Track listing:

Disc 1

1. Saint Abdullah – ‘Unforgotten Promises’
2. Xerxes The Dark – ‘Longing To Return’
3. S.S.M.P – ‘The Blue Chasm’
4. Alphaxone – ‘A Dystopia’
5. Limen – ‘Wherefore The Worm Universe’
6. Ali Phi – ‘Condition.III’
7. Reza Solatipour – ‘Surviving The Darkness’
8. Nojan – ‘Revolution’
9. Hossein RangChi – ‘Mute’
10. Narcissa Kasraï – ‘Articulation’
11. Rhonchus – ‘Graph’

Disc 2

1. DSM – ‘Nowruz’
2. idft – ‘DT’
3. Nyctalllz – ‘Daeva’
4. PooYar – ‘Buried Alive’
5. Anunnaki Signal – ‘Father’
6. Soheil Soheili – ‘Laboratory’
7. XSIX – ‘Lost’
8. Crows In The Rain – ‘… (For A Film)’
9. Downtown Of HongKong – ‘Downtown Valley’
10. Mehdi Behbudi & Vahide Sistaani – ‘Tehr’

Reviews:

"...a taste of what’s to come from a brand new horizon of dark electronic music... Visions Of Darkness represents a new milestone not only in Persian electronic music, but in Middle Eastern music in general. After the breakthroughs made by Alphaxone and Xerxes The Dark, I’m hopeful to hear more of these obscure yet passionate and creative minds unleash more of this brand of dark ambient industrial into the waiting international music community." (Heathen Harvest)

"This is a guide; an introduction, a dark hole in which, like Alice, you can fall and you have the opportunity to do the most interesting discoveries." (Vital Weekly)

"The sheer variety and consistent quality across this compilation make it a notable release. Combine that with its cultural importance, and Visions of Darkness is a welcome and enjoyable addition the collection of anyone who is curious how non-mainstream artists of an under-represented country express themselves." (Avant Music News)

"This unprecedented compilation finally sheds light on a scene that thrives despite its home country’s religiously driven state. The music on Visions of Darkness shows a thriving community of explorers and risk-takers, both sonically and physically speaking... each possesses a love and excitement for their craft through a myriad of tones, textures and emotions... It’s like the topography of the country - its mountains, deserts, valleys and riverbeds – set to music in the shadows of moonlight." (Big Takeover)

"Visions of Darkness is one hell of a compilation and I’m glad I was able to listen to it and analyze. The search for knowledge is really never ending, through world ending disaster, through madness, and through an infinite amounts of realities. I never knew there was such a rich dark ambient community in Iran, but there are some amazing artists out there and this compilation highlights some of the best of them. Check this compilation out!" (Resounding Footsteps)

"...this album is a collection of quite differing but, at the same time, related and same-minded artists and musical trends... in my opinion every single contribution has something to offer... this compiled album is nothing but a top-product!" (90/100,ConcreteWeb)

"Le ventuno testimonianze della cultura underground giovanile iraniana non possono che sorprendere e farci rendere conto di quanto false e lontane dal vero siano le varie idee preconcette che abbiamo (noi occidentali) di quel mondo. Sperimentazioni spesso estreme, scenari dark-ambient di grande ricercatezza, manipolazioni sonore e loop reiterati che mostrano una conoscenza approfondita dell'avanguardia del secolo scorso." (Ondarock)

"...il existe une scène ambient, drone et contemporaine au pays du Guide suprême Ali Khamenei. Et quelles que soient les difficultés pouvant éventuellement freiner son expression, la voici qui étale spasmes, profondeurs et langueurs sur ce profond format double-album mis à disposition, aujourd’hui, des publics d’Europe... et Cold Spring de jouer à plein son rôle de label défricheur au gré de cette grosse vingtaine de sculptures. car c’est là faire œuvre d’ambition et de conviction." (Obskure Mag)

"...se c'è infatti un tratto comune è proprio quello dell'oscurità che permea le atmosfere inquiete e cupe delle diverse tracce, siano esse declinate verso l'industrial, l'ambient, la drone music, la musica concreta o il minimalismo...la scena elettronica iraniana si presenta ricca e interessante e ci fa ricredere su molti pregiudizi che esistono sulla realtà di un Paese vivo e complesso." (Distorsioni)