Maral Creates Transcendent Club Music from Iranian Samples

Sound & Vision
Hosted by Rachel Stevens

KEXP’s Isabel Khalili talks with Maral about the new album and how her approach to sampling is inspired by Persian classical music philosophy, the enduring legacy of poet Forugh Farrokhzad, and how her music reflects the resilience of Iranian culture and people.

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Maral is an Iranian American producer and DJ who uses her influences of dub, shoegaze, and anarcho-punk to reinterpret Persian folk, classical and pop music. The result is a heavy yet transcendent "folk club" sound. Her experimental approach has led to collaborations with Panda Bear of Animal Collective, Penny Rimbaud of Crass, and Lee "Scratch" Perry. She recently released her third full length album, 'Ground Groove,' on Leaving Records.

KEXP’s Isabel Khalili talks with Maral about the new album and how her approach to sampling is inspired by Persian classical music philosophy, the enduring legacy of poet Forugh Farrokhzad, and how her music reflects the resilience of Iranian culture and people.

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