Amirali & the soloists of Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich
Title: Dystopia
Label: Dark Matters
Website: https://www.amirali.info/
Buy/Stream: https://smarturl.it/Amirali-Sokoot
Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/amirali_shahrestani/
Seeking to reimagine music from his eclectic repertoire in a neo-classical context, Iranian producer Amirali marks a triumphant return with the release of his ‘Sokoot’ EP, alongside the world class soloists of Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, one of the top 10 philharmonic orchestras in the world. Set for release on 29th September and translating as ‘Silence’ in Farsi, the 3 tracks are designed to have a connection with our current state: When the virus hit, the world went silent. “I composed these pieces with my dear friend Jakob Eisenbach who was also the conductor for the Tonhalle concert in Zurich”, he explains. “The 1st piece ’Dystopia’ expresses the current chaotic state the world is facing; the virus, corruption, constant war and global warming, but I always like to think there’s light at the end of the tunnel in order to stay sane. The second piece ‘Resurrected’ shows a new beginning; a coming back to life. Maybe it’s about myself after being away for a while. The 3rd and final piece ‘Dismantle The Sun’ is a reset to everything. Imagine if there was a push button for that.” These names are not just symbolic, but also show his current state of mind when working on them, and the final orchestrations result in something extremely powerful, cinematic and emotional.
Amirali emerged from the Crosstown Rebels camp in 2012, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship on his dynamic pop-infused bomb of a debut ‘In Time.’ Captivating the dancefloor with a seductive concoction of weird and groovy, it presented the multi-faceted producer as the new voice in dance music, effortlessly blurring the line of techno, disco, funk and electronica. Described as “one of the brightest jewels in electronic music” by Mixmag, ‘In Time’ also won praise from the likes of Resident Advisor, NPR, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music, cementing his place in dance music’s new elite.
The global response to the album allowed Amirali to tour extensively, undertaking a heavy schedule from Fabric and The Warehouse Project in the UK, to Vienna Opera House, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and Warung & D-Edge in Brazil to name but a few. Since then, fired by the need to innovate artistically, Amirali decided to take a break from touring and submerge himself within the process again. Nearly a decade later he returns with an arsenal of new material set for release over the next year. For now, we are left with beautifully jagged and unnerving sounds of ‘Sokoot’, a thought-provoking collection of tracks that seemingly ebb and flow with intention and force, almost like a virus does.
Composed by: Amirali Shahrestani & Jakob Eisenbach
Played by Amirali Shahrestani and the musicians of Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich.
Lea Knecht (Harp)
Vanessa Szigeti (Violin)
Irina Pak (Violin) – Concert
Ralph Szigeti (Viola)
Ewa Grzywna-Groblewskal (Viola) – Concert
Isaac Duarte (Oboe)
Heinz Dellatorre (Trumpet)
Heinz Saurer (Trumpet) – Concert
Klaus Schwärzler (Percussion)
Fabian Ziegler (Percussion)
Christian Hartmann (Percussion) – Concert
Mixed by: Gordon Davidson (Abbey Road Studios) & Max Molling
Mastering: Oli Morgan (Abbey Road Studios)