Porya Hatami - The Garden

There is no doubt that after Islamic revolution Iran became one of the most controversial and mysterious countries in the world. Heavily pressed by international penalties, governed by fanatics, it is very hard to believe that there is some kind of "electronic" scene over there. Sometimes I say that Iranian electronic music is like an urban fairytale such as the Loch Ness Monster, it seems that somebody should have seen it, but you can never be sure about that. But surprisingly I came across few acts that succeeded in leaking out of the dome of hatred that surrounds this Asian republic. Last year I discovered a really interesting IDM project under the name Idlefon which released its music at highly anticipated Tympanik Audio label. I must admit that I spent enough time listening to it to be able to define it as one of the best emotional electronic albums of 2014. Nevertheless, today I will concentrate on another project of a very talented person whose name is Porya Hatami that hails more or less from the same area.

I always claim that ambient music is one of the most flexible towards usage of different themes due to its highly abstract nature. The specter of inspirational material is totally inexhaustible and can be measured by abilities of human imagination only. For example, Porya Hatami underpinned the theme of "garden" in the plot of his latest album and every composition carries the name of its inhabitants, whether it's a hasty spider or a hard-working ant, a quick snail or a friendly bee. So, my dear reader, take my hand and join me for the walk in the tender spring sunrays to get to know those creatures closely and share with them the joy of nature.

I need to warn you from the very beginning, if you find drone ambient genre to be boring and dull then better find yourself something better to spend 45 minutes of your life for. The "Garden" demands a certain level of associative memory and abstract vision, but as soon as you make this step and embrace your hidden abilities this album will unfold its beauty in front of you. Operating with field recordings is quite a common technique, and Porya Hatami fully utilizes the options that are provided by this technique. Lots of different sounds are being processed alongside with gentle and soft melodies. Saddle the beam of light and dance in wrapped in warm air currents because today it is nature that prevails over technocracy and constant chase after industrialization and civilization progress.

The artist keeps the music very close to the main concept without imposing his own visions, but trying to be a bystander that tries to draw a landscape with minor reflections of his personality only. That's why the currents flowing out of my speakers are so peaceful and relaxing; sometimes the effect of presence is so strong, it seems that I am lying on the carpet of grass and not on my couch absorbing the energy of the earth, surrounded by small creatures that rush all around in a never-ending whirlwind of life. I feel that it is simply useless to try to analyze each track separately, because the basic idea is consistent with all of them. A slow motion of my calm evening is a perfect decoration for the message of Porya Hatami. I take a cup of tea and walk outside to the garden near my house to immerse in this magical moment, to reunite with myself using the sounds of this album as a guiding light, or maybe as a faithful companion while the soundtrack in my earphones echoes with the soundtrack of the nature around. Feb 17 2015