Zabte Sote, the Opal Tapes sub-label for Iranian experimental artists, announces four new releases

Sote‘s label will release four albums this Friday.

Ata “Sote” Ebtekar set up Zabte Sote as an outlet for experimental electronic music by Iranian composers. Due to the difficulty of running a label based in Tehran—all releases would need to be submitted to two separate Iranian government committees for approval—Zabte Sote functions as a sub-label of Opal Tapes.

On Friday, Zabte Sote will release albums by Pouya Ehsaei, a London-based Iranian musician who mixes Afro-Cuban rhythms with modular synth; Arah Pandi, a Rasht-born, Denmark-based composer who makes “Persian electronic music” by reimagining Iranian classical music within microtonal systems; Rojin Sharafi (pictured), a Vienna-based sound artist hailing from Tehran and SAHAB, who spent his childhood between Yazd, Tehran and Northern California.

For more information on the upcoming releases as well as the label, head over to the Zabte Sote Bandcamp page.

Check out Sote’s RA Podcast as well as Tom Faber’s feature on the Iranian scene, Hardcore Sounds From Tehran.

Listen to “Mocha” by SAHAB.

Listen to Arash Pandi’s “Chargah.”

Tracklist
Rojin Sharafi – Zangaar
01. Boloor
02. Ghaaf Kaaf Gaaf

03. Khesh

04. Pedarkoshi

05. Baadaabaad

06. Choruk

07. Bi Oo

08. Toom

Pouya Ehsaei – RocRast
01. RocRast #8

02. RocRast #45

03. RocRast #22
04. RocRast #75

05. RocRast #64

06. RocRast #55

07. RocRast #60

08. RocRast #53

09. RocRast #69

10. RocRast #67

11. RocRast #56

Arash Pandi – Chargah
01. Bayat Isfahan

02. Shur (Power Of Patience)

03. Dashti

04. Chargah

05. Dogah

SAHAB – SAHAB
01. SALAM

02. MOCHA
03. WAR

04. AIRPLANES

05. TURQUOISE

06. KITTY

07. MASKS

08. SEQ

09. WISH

10. ZAHR

11. MUSHI

12. CHOCOLATE

13. HAFIZ

Zabte Sote will release Zangaar, RocRast, Chargah and SAHAB on October 30th, 2020.

Photo credit: Arash Bolouri