Audio
Press
Bandcamp November 2024 Roundup (Ley Lines)
“Ashk Haye Moghavemat—Farsi for “Tears of Resilience”—combines the gravitas of traditional Persian vocals from Kamyar Arsani (Faraway Ghost) and the electroacoustic rhythms of percussionist Ravish Momin (Sunken Cages), in a tribute to interconnected struggles against oppression worldwide. Arsani’s daf (frame drum) flourishes complement subterranean kicks programmed by Momin, encircled by a vortex of synthesized and woody percussive textures on “Maro”; “Threnody for the Children” layers somber vocals over an idiosyncratic kick rhythm in triple time, a paean to the over 11,300 children killed by the Israeli military since last October, 30% of whom were younger than five. Momin’s polyrhythmic live-looping, informed by his jazz education with the likes of Andrew Cyrille and global club rhythms, creates a scaffold for Kamyar’s vocals to travel through various dastgahs (modes in Persian classical music), morphing into searing punk rock growls.”
ArtBlog Philadelphia, May 2024
“Weaving dense samples, electronic beats, and an otherworldly tribalistic rhythmic cadence, Sunken Cages’s world is populated by the sounds, sights and spirituality of a cyberpunk India-by-way-of Philadelphia. It’s the upcoming team-up with Faraway Ghost that promises to expand on this aesthetic, furrowing into darker territories. Having appeared on Sunken Cages’s Turning Jewels into Water LP, this new project sees a collaboration with Faraway Ghost– Iranian multi-instrumentalist and sound crafter Kamyar Arsani– that could break our tiny, noise-laden, experimental corner of the internet. The duo’s set from a semi-recent Fire Museum gig at the Rotunda is the perfect encapsulation of their “mysticism for cyborgs” sound – both artists locked in frenetic call and response, pushing the boundaries of tech-infused spiritual folk music for a century the planet may not even see.”
Performance Highlights..
Press Release
Zelzeleh is a new duo consisting of Iranian vocalist Kamyar Arsani (Faraway Ghost) and Indian-born percussionist/producer Ravish Momin (Sunken Cages.) Their collaboration combines lyrics inspired by Persian poetry with street rhythms from Mumbai, India, layered over intricate electronic soundscapes. Arsani’s mastery of Persian classical modes (dastgahs) and his evocative vocals merge seamlessly with Momin’s polyrhythmic live-looping and electronic drumming. Together, they create a unique sound described as “Digital Sufi Music.” The duo is signed to Akuphone Records (France) and debuted their full-length album “Ashk Haye Moghevemat” in November 2024.
BIOS
Sunken Cages is the solo-project of drummer/electronic music producer Ravish Momin. Momin studied with US Jazz master-drummer Andrew Cyrille. He has worked as a sideman with a wide array of musicians including pop-star Shakira and US Jazz legend Kalaparush Maurice McIntyre (AACM/Chicago.) In the past, he also led ‘Turning Jewels Into Water’ (with Haitian electronic music pioneer Val Jeanty) and Tarana, a shapeshifting global-Jazz trio, on international and domestic stages for the past 20 years. His current projects include duos with dragonchild (DA Mekonnen of Debo Band) and Faraway Ghost (Iranian singer/songwriter Kamyar Arsani.) As Sunken Cages, Momin plays electronic drums. While rooted in Indian and Black Music traditions, he is also influenced by the street sounds of underground dance music from Sao Paolo to Durban to Mumbai. He is signed to Akuphone Records (France.)He has done remixes for Depeche Mode, global electronic music producers Batida (Portugal), Babani Sound System (Mauritius) and Guedra Guedra (Morocco).His recent performance highlights include the Words/Beat/ Life Festival (Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (US)), Big Ears Festival (US), LeGuessWho? Festival (NL), Positive Futures Festival (AT), Lincoln Center Outdoors Festival (NYC, US), Slingshot Festival (US) and Festival Congedi (IT).
Kamyar Arsani is an Iranian multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter based in Washington DC. Through his solo work and numerous collaborations, Arsani creates music across an array of styles, ranging from classical Persian music to genre-defying electronic experimentation. A teacher, performer and scholar of the daf (the Iranian frame drum). Arsani has been a featured artist at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Voice of America, Georgetown University and numerous other stages throughout the region. Along with his solo work and collaborations, Arsani is also the singer and lyricist of Punk band Shadow Riot.
Press Photos (300 DPI)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TiITLiZwMI83mh0w70cNDGs0t1-xda_K?usp=sharing