Opal Tapes Line Up Sote For ‘Sacred Horror In Design’ Release
On ‘Hardcore Sounds From Tehran’ – his previous tape for Stephen Bishop’s Opal Tapes label, released last year – Ata Ebtekar aka Sote seemed to dismantle rave, atomizing its usual components into an arrhythmic, detail-rich blast of disorderly computer noise and blunt, erratic torque. Drawn from live edits taken from performances staged in Tehran, the long-serving alumni of Warp, Sub Rosa and Rabih Beaini’s Morphine Records presented an utterly unique interpretation of rave, hardcore and sound art, both fierce and chaotic yet irrepressible and revelatory.
As with that well received release, Ebtekar’s latest is comprised of material extracted from one of his live performances, this time at the 2017 edition of Berlin’s CTM festival. Initially billed as a ‘Persian techno apocalypse’ and since described as an ‘Iranian electroacoustic experience’, ‘Sacred Horror In Design’ features traditional Iranic instruments played by collaborators Arash Bolouri (on the Santour) and Behrouz Pashaei (on the Setar) Judged by the first track to be previewed from the July release entitled ‘Segaah’ – an eight minute marvel of frenetic virtuosity, palatial resonance, robust low end and charged silences – it’s set to be a work of stunning proportions.
‘Sacred Horror In Design’ will be released on pro printed CD and digital formats at the end of next month.
Purchase direct from the label at the Opal Tapes Bandcamp.
