San Franciscan artist of Iranian descent, Aria Rostami has just released Sibbe (Audiobulb), and album about technology in the information age and its influence on cultural identity.
Here’s what he has to say about it:
The “Delta” video centers around heavy digital manipulation similar to a TV with a bad satellite signal. The source material comes from Shakila’s “Emshab Dar Sar Shoori Daram” (Tonight I have joy in my mind) music video. I always liked this video in particular because the music and visuals reminded me of David Lynch. Anyone who has watched Iranian satellite TV is familiar with the low budget sets, green screens, computer graphics and in some cases signal scrambles from poor satellite service. Growing up this was one of the primary media sources that informed me of Iranian culture which was, albeit, a minimal view.”
“It wasn’t until I was older and had both interest and access to a wider range of Iranian media that I realized what a small view satellite TV was of the culture. Growing up watching satellite TV I wasn’t an Iranian-American looking at Iran, I was a member of an Iranian Diaspora in America watching material made by other members of the Diaspora. Reexamining this was a part of a larger rediscovery of my parent’s, family’s, and my own world that came with getting older and delving into the information age of internet and computers. On the other side of the fence, satellite TV is illegal in Iran although many Iranians still watch it. The Iranian government will sometimes scramble the satellite signal and create a phenomenon colloquially called “parazit” or parasite. Small Media produced a report called “Satellite Jamming In Iran: A War Over Airwaves” that is available on the PBS website or through an online search if you are interested in further reading. The video can either be viewed as a metaphor for a culture being lost in translation like it was for me or a more literal statement about Government censorship.”
The Song
“Delta” was originally released on Headphone Commute’s “…And Darkness Came” compilation. All the songs on the compilation were supposed to be somehow related to storms and the proceeds went to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. The name of the song came from the movement of the piece… it starts off like a single focused stream and eventually distorts into something much larger. However, the song also feels like a storm hitting so I gave the track to the compilation. “Delta” is the black sheep on the album “Sibbe” as it was recorded years before the rest of the album and fits on the album aesthetically but not conceptually. The album focuses on the global transfer of digital media and communication, America’s cultural melting pot, and voyeurism through technology. By matching the song with the video it contextualizes the piece into the greater theme of the album. “Delta” can represent nature acting on nature through storms or splitting rivers, nature acting on humans through hurricanes, humans acting on nature through the effects of climate change, or humans acting on humans through either censorship or civil disobedience.”
For more information go to the Audiobulb site or Aria’s own site.
