Radif of Iranian Music: Skepticism No. 1 (Independent Album)

Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Year of Creation: 2024
Published by: Noise à Noise and Post Orientalism Music, Berlin, Germany
Commissioned by: Post Orientalism Music
Collaborators: Khayam (Text) • Reza Davarzani (Tenor Vocal) • Niloufar Shahbazi (Kamanche)
Cover Art: Bahman Mohasses (Minotauro Seduto [Sitting Minotaur], 1972 – Bronze, 12 cm / 4.7 in)*
Recording and Mastering: Soheil Shirangi
Technical Crew: Soheil Soheili, Ali Balighi
A&R Manager: Ehsan Saboohi
Label Catalog Number: PO. 037
Publisher Publication: 2024 – Berlin / Tehran
Listen / Purchase on Bandcamp

Radif of Iranian Music: Skepticism No. 1 is a commissioned work by Post Orientalism Music, exploring reinterpretation and doubt within Persian musical heritage. Drawing on the radif—the ordered collection of traditional melodic figures forming the foundation of Iranian classical music—the album reimagines these materials through a contemporary lens of philosophical skepticism.

The work combines electronics, kamanche, and voice, setting to music several famous quatrains (rubāʿiyāt) by Omar Khayyam, the great Persian poet. Written in traditional Iranian modes, the piece reflects Khayyam’s lifelong meditation on uncertainty, mortality, and the art of living fully in the present moment.

Through the dialogue between acoustic timbres and electronic textures, Skepticism No. 1 becomes a meditation on existence itself—merging sound, poetry, and philosophy into a unified musical experience that questions permanence while celebrating awareness. It transforms the radif tradition into a contemporary soundscape, where ancient modal forms, expressive improvisation, and modern electronic resonance coexist in a state of creative tension.

The result is both analytical and deeply emotional—a sound world where Persian musical identity and modern experimentation meet, echoing Khayyam’s timeless spirit of inquiry and the beauty of finding meaning within doubt.

Availability & Celebration:

Radif of Iranian Music: Skepticism No. 1 is now available on Bandcamp, accompanied by a high-quality PDF booklet featuring detailed liner notes and HD artwork.

This release also joins Post Orientalism Music’s one-year anniversary celebration (October 25 – December 31, 2024), offering 60% off all albums with the code POST60.
[Purchase Links: postorientalism.bandcamp.com | noise-a-noise.bandcamp.com]