Kasra V

With his Shaytoon Records label, Sepehr has built a platform for underground techno and electronic music from the Iranian diaspora. But the versatile New York-based producer and DJ fights oversimplified categorisations and pigeonholing at every turn, extracting influence from obscure ‘90s rave records as much as Persian mythology. Alongside a 90-minute On Cue mix demonstrating this sound, he tells Marke Bieschke about his Flower Storm project with Kasra V, the influence of Silent Servant, and his grunge-influenced new band

For years, Iranian electronic musicians have sought to explore both the beauty and struggles of their home country through art, reflecting its culture, life and nature. Since the country’s recent uprising, sparked by police brutality and the fight for women’s rights, this has felt more pertinent and powerful than ever. Here, alongside a mix of Iranian electronic music from San Francisco-based DJ AIDA, Marke Bieschke speaks to 10 artists from Iran and its diaspora about their work, and the common threads that link them across continents