Persian Underground Surfaces In Toronto

TORONTO - April 11, 2013 - PRLog -- Toronto plays host to hottest Persian bands presented by local organizers Link Music Lab and Small World Music. New York’s  Hypernova headlines along with Iran’s Radio Tehran lead singer Ali Azimi and Toronto’s exotic composer Mahmood Schricker. Entitled “What Happened to the Persian Cat?”, this Persian underground concert takes the spotlight Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am at Lee’s Palace. For more information please visit www.linkmusiclab.com /www.smallworldmusic.com

HYPERNOVA:

There are some artists who consider "suffering for their art" to mean weathering harsh critics and dealing with paparazzi. But when performing your art in your home country could mean arrest, large fines or even flogging, the idea takes on a whole new meaning. After playing numerous secret gigs in their homeland of Iran hoping to avoid detection, HYPERNOVA made an exodus to the U.S. back in 2007, giving them not only a means to do what they love without threat, but also a new lease on personal freedom. After touring across North America on their own steam as well as support for bigger acts like Sisters of Mercy and IAMX, they have settled in New York where they continue to work on their music and personal projects. The band has been featured in many high profile media outlets such as NY Times, NPR, CNN, MTV, ABC, Playboy and NME,  just to name a few. Their single "Viva La Resistance" is featured on the main set list of the video game Rock Band 3. They also performed at the Pangea Day festival sponsored by the TED conference which was broadcast to 500 million people worldwide. The band is currently working on their sophomore album.

ALI AZIMI (RADIO TEHRAN):

Ali Azimi is an Iranian musician from Tehran, currently living in London. Ali is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of renowned Iranian rock band “Radio Tehran”. Their debut album 88 was released in March of 2011 with tracks such as "Spring" and "All those things" that became very popular within the community of Persian rock enthusiasts. He also leads a solo career in collaboration with international musicians and artists. Ali Azimi’s new albumMr Mean will be released in May of 2013 followed by a series of concerts in throughout Europe and North America.

MAHMOOD SCHRICKER:

Artist/producer Mahmood Schricker’s debut CD NULL was his first kick at the can to compose, arrange, perform and record his own album, and the result of his innate passion and drive, when it comes to Persian Classical music, is a stunning work of ingenuity.

Drawn to study Persian classical music and setar with various masters such as Behrouz Hemmati, Amir Koushkani and Bahman Rahgozar, he also holds a Masters degree in ethnomusicology from York University, where he researched and studied Persian Art Music with Professor Rob Simms. Influenced by this educational background and inspired upon hearing electro-tango music for the first time in 2010, Schricker’s concept to juxtapose classical and electronic music with the sounds of his native country in a way that would resonate with his own generation, began to materialize. His music took shape as a hybrid of urban/electronic soundscapes and the classical Persian dastgah system (which is relatively unexplored territory), of rural Iran which features both male and female vocalists.

This innovative ‘electro-Persion’ project was produced by Schricker (who also performs on his electric setar, a highly taboo practice among Persian traditionalists), along with Darryl Neudorf and Reza Moghaddas (who also plays bass and keys on the album). The album also includes collaborations with renowned Persian and Canadian artists such as Mohsen Namjoo, Habib Meftah Boushehri, Maryem Toller and Ebrahim Rahnama. The nine-track album also utilizes the neo-poetry of non-conventional poets such as Kadkani, Forough Farrokhzad and Sohrab Sepehri. Track five, “Silent City,” is a piece about a city silenced politically or otherwise and is presented in the mode ofDashti which features controversial Persian artist Mohsen Namjoo and was released as a first single in October of 2011.