Experimental Desgn

This anthology of experimental music from Japan showcases the young generation of musicians alongside established names and provides an insight into the current experimental scene, confirming the adventurous character of the Japanese music research.

Alternate African Reality is a follow-up to several compilations I have published on Syrphe since 2007 (the first one, Beyond Ignorance and Borders included various artists from Africa and Asia), and even earlier on my defunct tape label in the 1990s (the last tape, Archives Humaines vol.1, was published in 1996 and included 25 artists from 25 countries, including non-Western ones : South Africa, Japan, Chile, Brazil).

Music is imprinted into Persian culture pre-dating Islam by more than 1400 years. By the time of its arrival in Iran in the 7th century, Persians had already developed the core of the theoretical framework of music of Middle Eastern origin still valid to this day. The 12th Century represented a point of departure as Sufism penetrated Persian culture and poetry became intertwined with music. By surveying avant-garde music in Iran, Unexplained Sounds Group has made their first incursion outside “western culture” into a highly fertile ground. Not surprisingly, this journey has been handsomely rewarded. The sample consists of high quality tracks where we found a wide range of unique voices and compositional styles resulting in a mature body of work. Upon listening to these remarkable artists you are left wondering if there is a better cultural fit than Iran for experimental music to develop outside the west.