Finders Keepers wrote:
It's no accident that the phoenix is an exalted moral, mythical, and figurative symbol in Iran. Like the phoenix, Iranian culture is in constant flux and, at times, elusive, with its existential wavering and blurred panoramas. Most of contemporary Iran's artistic and creative leanings, its grapples with history and identity, are loosely and mystically conjoined and contested in memory. Iran is marked by the complex interplay of diverse constituencies, philosophies, and influences: ethnic, religious, political, geopolitical and historical. The glorification of pre-Islamic antiquity (in search of authentication) marked the socio-cultural attitude of a bygone era and is witnessing revival in the present day. The discordant reality of eastern traditions complicated by the rampant confusions of modernity has become a norm in Persian dialogue, not to mention revolution, exile, and diaspora. Like many other countries, the Sixties and Seventies were a time of tumult in Iran, bringing growth (via petrodollars) and freedom (under the banner of socioeconomic development) while exacerbating inequalities within the country.
The music and voices that blossomed during those decades exemplify the turbulence and excitement of the age. It is worth recognizing these 'left out' and 'lost' artists individually and as a group in the global happenings of 60s/70s psych, rock and folk, while exploring their influence and relevance to the present day. Is it possible that there is a genus of delectable sounds and fetching images that almost exclusively reside in the elbowroom of memory and nostalgic 'yesteryear' storytelling? Little consideration has been given to the correlation of these sounds and stories within the universal psychedelic phenomena: parallel to the shared stylistics of British and American players, and the radical politicking of their Turkish and Korean counterparts.
This collection endeavors to re-contextualize these songs from the realm of reminiscence, nostalgia, and memory into a specific and accessible narrative to share and relate within the universal musical gamut. It is for aficionados, the curious, and collectors alike. We hope that Iranians around the world will rediscover these songs. This collection is, in some sense, dedicated to a generation in self-imposed mental exile, due to years of war and catastrophe; decades of lies and bombs; a fundamentalist theocracy of reformist shams; addiction; isolation and alienation; unemployment, and inflation. These are voices and stories that may again prove relevant to a psychologically damaged and spiritually corrupt society, a society whose discontents recall the latter years of the Shah's rule.
The recordings excavated here are highly sexual musings, voluble love songs, and simple folk tunes. In many of these songs, there are subtle voices of political protest. Here is a personal best, a handful of artists and diversely stylized songs, presented on Finders Keepers.
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Boomkat Review:
We've been waiting for this one to drop for a while, collecting some of the most obscure, eye-popping electronic pop/funk/psyche recordings made in Iran in the 1960's and 70's before the revolution and the overthrow of the Shah. Finders Keepers once again manage to educate and amaze with a prime selection of mindblowing obscurities - the production on so many of the tracks here just beggar belief. The music reflects Iran at a time when it was undergoing massive change, partly due to the influx of Petrodollars and the pervasive influence of modernity which created a tension between mystical Eastern traditions and the freedom of socioeconomic development. These pieces are borne of multiple traditions indigenous and exogenous, sonically paralleling the psyche phenomena of USA and Britain, while retaining its own distinct Persian personality in songs rich in sonic innovation as well as wilful and ecstatic vibes. Unless you're of Iranian background or happen to be a seriously curious collector it's unlikely that you'll recognise the likes of Mohammad Nouri, Googoosh, Noosh Afarin and co, and tracks like Kourosh Yaghmaie's 'Gol-e Yakh' or the electric folk of Soli's 'Miravi' will be enough to make you want to start digging for more. Of course there's also a healthy helping of heavy funk here too, with the ornate licks of Noosh Afarin's 'Gol-e Aftab Gardoon' or the symphonic strings and snaky bass of Sima Bena's 'Naz Kardanet Vaveyla' designed to keep the more adventurous DJs with a heavy supply of exotic unknowns. Mindblowing stuff from Finders Keepers once again.
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