Essentials

We often associate Iranian music with long, melancholy pieces. But Persian culture is rich in folkloric music as well, rooted in local traditions, in which dance is an essential ingredient.

In the current official image and turmoil of the country, dance is often being overlooked. However, it is clearly present in the many local music styles that Rastak studied, resulting in this compilation of sorts – almost all of the tracks are newly arranged and recorded versions of songs they’ve previously recorded. Not without reason one of the group’s previous albums was named Dance with Rastak. To create a crowd of dancing Iranians, put this album on the sound system. And others will join.

The tracks are their own remakings of music from all over Iran, this time from Kerman to South-Azerbaijan, and from Gilan to Shiraz, with here and there surprising arrangements. Take for instance the chord changes halfway through the track ‘Raana’. The signature track, ‘Baroon’, based on a famous tune from Lorestan, is in triple and quadruple metres, but has some of those complex rhythms that urge any listener to get on the floor. At the same time, these rhythms may puzzle a relative outsider about where to put their feet, but after they’ve got the skills, a massive communal party frenzy will have begun.

Yet, even in some of the jolliest tracks on Essentials there is always that touch of longing for the ‘something else’ that we know from the more classical Iranian poetry and music as well. But there are enough reasons on this album to try to dance the night, and the day, away.