Tafrigh cannot be categorised easily. Rooted in different musical genres and styles, it is a mesmerising post-modern mixture of bizarre moments; both in the music and the lyrics. It is very much parodic, juxtaposed and grotesque; but unlike many of its counterparts, it shows decent technique and musicianship. The mixture, just like the previous works of the band, comprises paradoxical episodes. Tafrigh blends styles such as kooche bazari – a style traditionally linked with the lower socioeconomic classes in Iran – rap, jazz, southern Iran’s folklore music, and kooche-bazari-influenced jazz singing are all layered against a backdrop of electronic music. However, Tafrigh has some differences from previous works of the band: a rapper has joined the ensemble, and it has strong, sometimes direct, references to kooche bazari music.

Speaking of referencing popular traditional styles, one must mention the Vol 1 track ‘Cheshm Siah’ (Black-eyed), based on a traditional popular musical form that was used to narrate stories in theatrical performances. It starts with a typical love story and leads to a horrifying ending. This grotesque characteristic could be easily found right from the first track on the same volume, which portrays a naive and deliberately amateurish performance accompanied by lyrics that are supposed to be a lullaby – but bear an uneasy undertone: ‘Mum loves you so much / that she won’t give birth to you / daddy loves you so much / that he won’t plant your seed.’ Although the rap sections may be unnecessary to the overall flow of the record on some tracks, both volumes of Tafrigh constantly give new meaning to its musical components in an avant-garde mixture of fresh and odd ideas.