Mehrnam Rastegari – Dislocated Pulse (self-release, 2025)
Mehrnam Rastegari is set to release Dislocated Pulse in November. This is her debut album as a composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. The New York City-based artist is recognized for her skill as a kamancha or kamancheh player. She leads a quartet through seven delightful tracks that connect Persian microtonal music and psychedelic rock.
The lineup features guitarist Amit Peled, bassist Panagiotis Andreou, and drummer Dani Danor, with percussionist Martin Shamoonpour guesting on daf and dayereh. The album includes six original compositions and one reimagined Kurdish folk piece.
The record brings together the raw sound of fiery kamancha and emotive folk-rooted vocals with electronic effects. Persian scales surface, performed on scorching microtonal fretted electric guitar, while fretless bass and drums press the music into contemporary territory.
The song titles point to various themes. “I’m Longing” addresses exile and homesickness. “Let Me Be Happy” wrestles with the desire for joy amid anger and a sense of dislocation. “Velveleh” and “Naz” celebrate moving to irregular rhythms, an idea that gives the album its name.
Rastegari’s work extends beyond this release. She founded the Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band, the Balkan-Persian trio Senavazi, and the Middle Eastern psychedelic rock group Chogan, and she mentors young musicians across Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.
Her recent stage work includes the Bill Gates Goalkeepers 2024 event with Grammy winner Jon Batiste, world music showcases WOMEX and GlobalFest, Pitchfork Music Festival, Le Guess Who?, and performances at the United Nations. Her film scoring includes more than 10 projects, with “Best Original Score” at the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards.
Buy Dislocated Pulse.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.