Celebrate Nowruz With Maral’s Mix of Iranian Classical Music

Iranian-American producer Maral digs into her archive of classical music for a celebratory Nowruz mix.

Today is Nowruz, otherwise known as the Iranian or Persian new year. And to celebrate, we asked Maral to put together a specialist mix of Iranian classical music.

Maral is an artist whose work is intrinsically tied to heritage. Describing her distinct signature sound as "folk club", the producer consistently explores Iranian history and culture through her dense sound collages, layering samples from her archive of Iranian folk, pop and classical music with noise, post-punk and dub-influenced club contortions. The artist has released three full-length albums so far; the second, titled Push, delved into the effects of western imperialism on the Middle East – from invasions to a "spiritual melancholy" that persists throughout Iranian culture, and the perservance of Iranian people.

Her latest album – 2022's Ground Groove – sees her hone in on her unique blend of experimental electronics with sonic fragments from Iran, sourcing a number of samples from mixtapes made by her parents in the 80s and 90s.

Ahead of the release of her new track, Wondering Dub, next week (27 March), and in celebration of the new year, Maral dug deep into her personal archive. "I wanted this mix to feel like Iran in the springtime," she said. "There is a beautiful patience and space within these tracks, as if you are watching a flower slowly blooming. I try to incorporate this feeling in my own music."

On the creative process, she added: "Iranian classical music is vast and varied. For this mix I focused on the sounds that are personal to me, from starting the mix with a voice memo from my aunt in Iran wishing me a happy spring and new year to delving into recordings from masters of my personal favourite Iranian classical instruments: the setar and ney. As well as the powerful vocals of Hayedeh and other masters of Avaz."

Tracklist

Jahansuz Dadbeh – Dashtestani
Dargahi – Dastgah-e Mahur
Hayedeh & Mohammad-Reza Shajarian – Khalvate Del (Dastgahe Mahour)
Mohmmad Reza Lotfi – In This New Love, Die
Jalil Shahnaz Homayoun Khoram – Chaharmezrab
Alireza Efekhari & Jamshid Andalibi – Tasnif Yare Vafadar
Sima Bina – Nowruz – New Year
Hayedeh – Dashti
Mohammad Mousavi – Avaz-e-Bidad
Hayedeh – Avaz (Leyleh Mahjnoon)
Mahmud Mahmudi Khansari – Dashti
Hassan Kassai – She'r
Ali-Naqi Vaziri – Dashti
Hossein Tehrani – Zarb-e-Reng