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After three years of silence and in the midst of an ongoing legal battle, Bassnectar (real name Lorin Ashton), appears to be staging a comeback.
On Tuesday evening, a new mix was uploaded to the Bassnectar Mixcloud account, with the producer’s official Instagram account wiped clean around the same time. Most significantly, however, is a new website, UnlockTheOtherSide.com, which went live around the same time and features the signature Bassnectar logo. Fans discovered the site — the landing page for which was live but password protected on Tuesday evening but is currently offline — with copy describing it as “the new home for the Bassnectar universe & beyond,” according to screenshots reviewed by Billboard.
Access for a membership to the site, according to additional screenshots, costs $150 with an “early bird” discount being offered for $100. Membership promises access to “tickets to curated events,” “exclusive access to music,” archived content, “in-depth conversations,” “unreleased mixtapes and radio shows” delivered monthly, behind-the-scene access, remastered albums, a new album and more.
Despite these developments — which have spurred chatter in online Bassnectar communities on Reddit, Twitter and a longstanding private Bassnectar Discord channel — there has been no official announcement of a return from the artist himself. Ashton’s last public remark was a social media post on July 3, 2020, that has since been deleted, addressing sexual misconduct allegations made against him at the time and announcing an indefinite hiatus. He has not performed any known shows or released any new music since — until now.
On April 6, 2021, Ashton was sued by two women, who allege that he engaged in sexual abuse of minors, child pornography and human trafficking. Just a month later, two more women joined the lawsuit. (One of these women who joined the suit anonymously later removed herself when the court required her to reveal her legal name in order to proceed.)
Ashton, alongside the four other defendants named in the case (his management, label, and others), filed motions to dismiss. On Jan. 11, 2022, Judge Aleta A. Trauger granted all motions to dismiss except for Ashton’s, which was denied. The case is currently in discovery with a target trial date set for September.
Ashton now appears to be taking a comeback strategy with his Bassnectar project that goes directly to fans without reliance on intermediaries such as record labels and promoters, who may be reluctant to work with him. That tactic has already proven successful for Louis C.K., the comic who similarly stepped back from the public eye in 2017 after facing numerous sexual misconduct allegations. (Unlike Ashton, C.K. has not faced any criminal or civil charges.) Three years later — the same length of time as Bassnectar’s hiatus — in April 2020, C.K. announced a new comedy special called Sincerely Louis CK that he released directly to fans through his own website, with no advance notice. That album went on to win a Grammy for best comedy album last year and the comedian is performing at Madison Square Garden next week. He continues to release material strictly on LouisCK.com.
As for Bassnectar, Ashton’s fans appear thrilled about the return of an artist who for many represented the apex of the bass music realm. “THE KING IS BACK!! Happy Nectar Day to all the Fam!!!,” posted one fan to Twitter on Tuesday.
A representative from Ashton did not respond to Billboard‘s request for comment at time of publishing.
Skrillex marked his 35th birthday on Monday by posting a vulnerable series of tweets about the difficulties he’s faced in the past few years.
“Had the toughest year of my life in ’22, as did so many others. I literally found myself with no drive and purpose for the first time in my life,” he began. “My mother passed away a few years back, 2nd day of Lollapalooza tour in [South America]. I never ever coped with it … I drank the pain away and kept going.”
The electronic star continued: “People ask why ‘I’ve been gone’ or ‘fell off,’ rightfully so. Like I said, ’22 was sort of my tipping point, I had to put everything on ice especially my projects/ career. The truth is I didn’t cancel sunset and movement festival because of my albums. It was because I was working on myself.”
However, the artist born Sonny Moore stated that all the personal and internal work he did has paid off, writing, “For the first time in 4-5 years I’ve found a new sense of peace. It took so much work and sacrifice to get here. There’s my bday tweet to you all.. Turing 35 for me was realizing there are certain f—s you should not give, you’ll be more free for that. Here’s to 35 laps around the sun and to the f—s I will no longer give.”
He concluded with two final thoughts, tweeting, “Lastly, the support you’ve all shown over the years does mean the world and I’ll continue to work on myself and not get into a situation where I have to cancel shows / go into hiding. To quote the wise [woman] @BibiBourelly, ‘yeah it’s deep, but sh– ain’t that deep.’”
Skrillex entered into the new year earlier this month by releasing the ominous “Rumble,” his new collab with Fred Again.. and Flowdan. He then played a surprise b2b2b set with Fred Again.. and Four Tet at London’s Electric Ballroom, and thus far, the single has debuted on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart at No. 15 (dated Jan. 14) before becoming his sixth top 10 hit on the tally the following week.
Read Skrillex’s birthday thoughts below.
Had the toughest year of my life in 22, as did so many others. I literally found myself with no drive and purpose for the first time in my life— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
My mother passed away a few years back 2Nd day of Lalapalooza tour in SA. I never ever coped with it … I drank the pain away and kept going— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
People ask why “I’ve been gone” or “fell off”, rightfully so. Like I said , 22 was sort of my tipping point, I had to put everything on ice especially my projects/ career— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
the truth is I didn’t cancel sunset and movement festival because of my albums. It we because I was working on myself— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
For the first time in 4-5 years I’ve found a new sense of peace. It took so much work and sacrifice to get here.— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
There’s my bday tweet to you all.. Turing 35 for me was realizing the are certain fucks you should not give , you’ll be more free for that— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
Here’s to 35 laps around the sun and to the fucks I will no longer give 🫶— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
Lastly, the support you’ve all shown over the years does mean the world and I’ll continue to work on myself and not get into a situation where I have to cancel shows / go into hiding— Skrillex (@Skrillex) January 16, 2023
For two decades, Lightning In a Bottle has delivered delightfully kooky, kinda heady and always hyphy fun for festivalgoers from the West Coast and well beyond.
The revelry continues today (Jan. 17), as the beloved California event has announced the lineup for its 20-year anniversary show, happening this May 24-29 in Bakersfield, CA.
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Leading the lineup are REZZ, SOFI TUKKER and Zhu, who will all headline LiB’s Lightning stage along with Phantogram, Tobe Nwigwe, 070 Shake, Caribou, DRAMA and many more.
The Thunder stage will host its own headliners Liquid Stranger, LSDream, Tokimonsta and The Glitch Mob, along with LTJ Bukem with Armanna, Meute, Deathpact and more.
On the house and techno oriented Woogie Stage will host Tale Of Us, Diplo, Ben Böhmer, Purple Disco Machine, LP Giobbi, Blond:ish and a crew of other artists. Longstanding LiB artists including David Starfire, Dimond Saints, William Close & The Earth Harp and El Papachango will also be returning in 2023. See the complete lineup below.
Along with the music, the five-day camping fest will host vibey experiences including Interactive yoga and movement classes, talks and workshops, games, races, an 80s prom and other special events. Tickets for the fest are on sale now.
Ahead of LiB, event producers The Do Lab will return to Coachella to host their annual stage at the fest. The lineup for this stage — known for offering a loose, playful and musically impeccable vibe to Coachella — will be released in the coming months.
“What I do know is that for most people, music is a safe space, a place of comfort, a place of joy, a place of release,” Do Lab Assistant Music Director Tadia Taylor told Billboard in 2022 of curating the lineups for LiB and Coachella. “Being in a position to expand all of those emotions and expand the palette and the expand the people and share it all, I could never dream of anything more.”
The underground is massive, and now, immersive. On Tuesday (Jan. 17), New York City-based underground dance music promoter Teksupport is announcing a collaboration with ArtsDistrict Brooklyn, a 25,000-square foot venue offering cutting-edge 360 degree projection mapping, a revolving stage and state of the art audiovisual technology. This series will feature high-caliber producers playing in venue, the tech capabilities of which will make for whimsical, visually stunning art-forward dancefloor experiences.
Located in Greenpoint overlooking the East River, the indoor-outdoor space (which was formerly the House of Vans skatepark) offers skyline views of Manhattan. This creative canvas will feature some of the key names in underground dance music for the series, which will extend through 2023.
The shows launch with a double-header this weekend with a Jan. 20 performance by Nina Kraviz and Magdalena, and a Jan. 21 show from French duo KAS:ST and German producer Kevin de Vries. A showcase during New York Fashion week (Feb. 10-15) will feature Seth Troxler, HVOB, Carlita & Ahmed Spins. (This event will be hosted by Carlita’s Senza Fine series.) Additional names and dates will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Teksupport, one of the scene’s most respected underground house and techno promoters, has previously hosted shows in similarly unique venues, including a submarine factory, navy yard, subterranean ballroom and Grand Central Station.
“Teksupport is reimagining what is possible in electronic music in NYC, and we are thrilled to provide a platform for innovative artists and TekSupport’s unparalleled events,” Jacob Feldman, ArtsDistrict’s Chief of Business Development, says in a statement. “Our shared passion for pushing boundaries and providing a one-of-a-kind experience for our audiences makes this partnership one that will allow us to bring a truly immersive and unparalleled electronic music experience to New York audiences.”
This week in dance music: Everything But the Girl announced their first album in 24 years is coming this April; Calvin Harris, The Chemical Brothers, Eric Prydz’s renowned HOLO show and a strong crew of other dance acts were included on the 2023 Coachella lineup, Marco Carola, Camelphat, Gordo and more were announced for March’s SXM Festival in Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, The Chainsmokers shared some personal news, Iranian producers Dubfire, Lady Faith and Starfari reflected on the ongoing protests in Iran, the aforementioned Harris shared a selfie of he and longtime collaborator Ellie Goulding in the studio together, Richie Hawtin announced an education-focused techno tour happening this March, Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan’s “Rumble” debuted on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Insomniac Events announced a rave cruise called, naturally, EDSea.
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That’s a lot! But is there more? You know there’s more. Let’s dig in.
M83, “Oceans Niagara”
Prepare thyself. M83 is back, and we’re going “beyond adventure” into epic territories where synths shine like neon diamonds and the horizon glows in massive walls of sound. “Oceans Niagara” is a cinematic overture of a lead single, the first taste of things to come from the project’s forthcoming album Fantasy, due out March 17. The album is the first from M83 since 2019’s DSVII.
“I wanted this record to be very impactful live,” says M83’s Anthony Gonzalez, the man behind the music. “The idea was to come back with something closer to the energy of Before the Dawn Heals Us. The combination of guitars and synths is always in my music, but it’s maybe more present on this new record than on the previous ones.”
“Oceans Niagara” is bold, explosive and mostly instrumental. It’s got a cool, colorful music video that feels warm and fuzzy with ‘80s nostalgia. It’s definitely got us hyped for this new era.
“It’s the very first collaboration between my brother Yann Gonzalez and myself on a music video,” Gonzalez continues. “I wanted to create this sense of friendship. Listening to that song, I imagine people running, driving fast or riding spaceships together. It’s this sense of going forward, like a magic potion that you take to discover new worlds. Beyond Adventure!” – KAT BEIN
SG Lewis feat. Charlotte Day Wilson & Channel Tres, “Fever Dreamer”
With two weeks to go until SG Lewis releases his latest album, AudioLust & HigherLove, the U.K. producer has shared another preview in the form of new single “Fever Dreamer.” The song features friends old and new: Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson and Compton’s Channel Tres, who previously guested on Lewis’ “Impact” in 2020. Together, they turn “Fever Dreamer” into a sultry disco daydream, a romantic fantasy which Lewis says is about “all-consuming admiration for someone.” Wilson’s smoky, rich vocals melt into the flirty bassline and swirling synths, while Channel lets flow his lyrics with his signature suave nonchalance. With a chorus that approaches transcendence, “Fever Dreamer” is near-delirious delight. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Whyte Fang, “Transport God”
Alison Wonderland isn’t messing around with her Whyte Fang project, which showcases the Australian producer’s harder, indeed sharper-toothed side. The latest is “Transport God,” a hard, doomy, heady head-banger that delivers the first drop within its first five seconds. And we like that.
The track, like all forthcoming Whyte Fang material, is out via FMU Records, launched by Wonderland last month to service her Whyte Fang releases and music by other rising producers. Whyte Fang will also make its Coachella debut, with the project included on the lineup that dropped earlier this week. — KATIE BAIN
Amtrac, “Heard Me Right”
Time is money, especially when paying for parking in the big city. Thank goodness Amtrac is here to be the change.
The Kentucky-bred, Los Angeles-based artist is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming third album Extra Time, and to celebrate the release of his fourth LP single “Heard Me Right,” he danced through the streets of L.A., walkman and change purse in hand, doling out quarters to unsuspecting parkers throughout the urban sprawl. “It was a fun passion project between me and (director) Greg Sheppard,” he says. “A man takes it upon himself to provide the people of greater Los Angeles with little ‘Extra Time.’ He can dance, he is strong and he has plenty of coins.”
“Heard Me Right” was actually the first song Amtrac finished for the album. It came together during the peak of COVID-19 lockdown in mid 2020, and he says it stood as a “sort of light at the end of the tunnel.” The hazy synth hook does sound hopeful, if a bit trepidatious in its optimism, as Amtrac sings of pieces falling into place and something to hold on to. Let this moving mix of rhythmic bass lines and atmospheric melodies help you to lose yourself in a better tomorrow, and pay it forward if you can! – K. Bein
Ruth Royall, “Walk Through Fire”
Ruth Royall throws her sorrows to the flames on her new single, “Walk Through Fire.” The Bristol-hailing artist, a longtime vocalist for drum & bass producers like Makoto, Pola & Bryson and Mollie Collins, last year stepped into her own solo career. On “Walk Through Fire,” her soulful singing of lost love smolders and swells alongside the raging production, whose increasing percussive energy erupts with the force of a gas explosion — grief and fury, each fueled by the other. “When did we get so lost?” she cries. “I always had my heart on my sleeve / I loved you carelessly.”
“The song is about loving someone so much that you would literally walk through fire for them, but realizing that they don’t love you in the same way,” Royall says. “Feeling like you wasted your youth loving someone who doesn’t feel the same. Giving your whole self to someone and even when you are completely honest they give you nothing back.” — K.R.
The Chainsmokers feat. Cheyenne Giles, “Make Me Feel”
Okay yes, The Chainsmokers made headlines earlier this week by disclosing some of the extracurricular activities of their early tour days. (And really, no one deserves to be shamed for sexual choices made among consenting adults!) The pair also dropped a new track, and, much like the news that preceded it, it’s something of a surprise, with the pair — who as of late have been found in a more pop-forward/experimental mode — going full dancefloor, synthesizing ’90s house, tech-house, a lift of the immortal sax hook to The Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s “Darkest Light” (previously borrowed by everyone from Wreckx-n-Effect to Jay-Z) and a funky, big-ass drop. Made in collaboration with San Diego producer and friend of Les ‘Smokers Cheyenne Giles, and — surprise again! — out now via Tiësto’s Musical Freedom label. — K. Bain
Electric Daisy Carnival is hitting the high seas. On Thursday (Jan. 12), EDC producer Insomniac Events announced the launch of EDSea, a festival cruise that will set sail from Miami to the Bahamas on Nov. 4-8, 2023.
This seafaring spin-off expands the list of global EDC events, which includes the annual flagship festival EDC Las Vegas — returning to Sin City May 19-21 — along with EDCs in Mexico City and Orlando. (Previous EDCs have taken place in the U.K., Brazil, China, Puerto Rico and beyond.)
The lineup for the five-day rave cruise will be announced later this year, with cabin reservations becoming available during a pre-sale starting on Jan. 17. (If there are any cabins left, a general sale will begin on Jan. 27.)
The party will happen on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy, which, according to the cruise company, can host roughly 3,800 guests. The ship will offer eight separate stages and music venues, along with a go-kart track, a waterpark and laser tag. The four-night bacchanal will embark from Miami and dock at both Nassau in the Bahamas and the country’s Great Stirrup Cay, a regular destination for such music-focused party cruises.
EDSea will technically be the second party cruise on Insomniac’s ever-robust event slate, with the company also producing Holy Ship! Created in 2012 by HARD events Founder Gary Richards, Insomniac gained full control of the event — which also cruised from the Miami area to the Bahamas — when Richards left HARD in 2018, as HARD was by that point controlled by Insomniac and its parent company, Live Nation.
After sending Holy Ship! to sea in 2018 and 2019, Insomniac shifted it to a on-land event — Holy Ship! Wrecked — in 2020-2022 at locations in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Insomniac tells Billboard that Holy Ship! Wrecked will remain on the company’s event roster.
Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan roar onto Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated Jan. 14) with “Rumble” (No. 15). The collab earned 653,000 U.S. streams in the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate.
“Rumble” is the 37th chart appearance for Skillex, the 13th for Fred again.. and the second for Flowdan. It’s Skrillex’s 11th top 15 entry and the first since “En Mi Cuarto,” with Jhay Cortez (No. 8, August 2021). Skrillex has scored five top 10s, including one leader, “Where Are You Now,” with Diplo and Justin Bieber (for two weeks in 2015).
For Fred again.. and Flowdan, “Rumble” marks new career high peaks. Fred again..’s “Turn On the Lights Again..,” with Swedish House Mafia and featuring Future, reached No. 16 last August, and “Gassed Up,” by Zeds Dead x Subtronics, featuring Flowdan, hit No. 26 in January 2022.
Concurrently, “Rumble” arrives on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart at No. 13.
Additionally on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, SLANDER, Said the Sky and Alison Wonderland start at No. 18 with “Picture,” courtesy of 619,000 streams. The collab is SLANDER’s second-highest-charting song among 15, after “All You Need to Know,” with Gryffin and featuring Calle Lehmann (No. 12, 2019); it’s Said the Sky’s first time in the top 20 among four chart hits. For Alison Wonderland, “Picture” is her 13th appearance, tying “High,” featuring Trippie Redd, for her top position (2018).
Looking at the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, a third threesome of acts is making an impact with a third single-word-titled song, as VASSY, Bingo Players and Disco Fries improve after hitting the top 10 a week earlier with “Pieces” (9-8). The track is VASSY’s eighth top 10, Bingo Players’ second and Disco Fries’ third.
“We’ve worked with both Bingo Players and VASSY on previous collaborations, so once we heard about ‘Pieces’ coming together, we had to jump in!” Nick Ditri of Disco Fries tells Billboard. “It’s been awesome to work across the globe on a record like this. It was created in all of our respective studios, from Los Angeles to New York to the Netherlands. Feel-good, melodic dance music is always our sweet spot, and to see this record climb the chart so quickly has been proof that it’s still alive and well. We’re super grateful.”
“Pieces” pockets core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, KMVQ-HD2 San Francisco and iHeartRadio’s Evolution, among other supporters. (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)
Ten years ago amidst the pandemonium of the U.S. EDM boom, Richie Hawtin read the room and realized not only that a legion of new electronic fans and artists were flocking to the scene, but that many of them had an extremely limited understanding of the origins of the genre or of sounds beyond the mainstage big room style that dominated the era.
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The Canadian techno pioneer took it upon himself to be a teacher, hitting the road on the 2012 and 2015 North American CNTRL tours, for which Hawtin hosted lectures and workshops on techno by day, and experiential learning sessions on the dancefloor of the club after dark.
It was in this era that many of the scene’s pioneers expressed their hope (and often their critiques), that U.S. audiences would mature beyond big room and discover the deeper sounds of house and techno, both of course genres made in America, largely among the Black artist communities of Detroit and Chicago.
A decade later, that vision has in many ways come true, with house, techno and tech-house supplanting EDM as the genres of choice among both new generations of dance fans and EDM fanatics who’ve been growing up with the sound for the last 10 years. So, too, has techno faced the same type of mass commercialization that rubbed so many scene pioneers the wrong way a decade ago.
To celebrate the gains of techno and to again educate audiences on the more underground realms of the now commercially popular sound, Hawtin is hitting the road for another educational tour this March. The run will hit eight cities in the U.S. and Canada, extolling the virtues and values of techno by presenting a collection of underground producers making some of the hardest, weirdest, most underground strains of the genre. Each warehouse show will happen in partnership with an independent promoter.
“TEN years have passed since the CNTRL tour, and it feels like we are now deep into a new sound of techno that has completely fused together the elements that we were witnessing back then,” Hawtin tells Billboard. “The huge explosion and popularity of EDM 10 years ago was exactly why we launched the CNTRL tour, going through North America by bus to reach and pollinate the ideals of techno through performances and talks.
“Now here we are, 10 years later,” he continues, “visiting underground warehouse events throughout the country with artists that have come straight out of those times — artists inspired by all types and styles of electronic music, but extremely focused and dedicated to the sound and ideals of techno.”
This From Our Minds – To Be Announced 2023 tour launches on March 10 in techno’s hometown of Detroit, before dipping into Canada and then coming back to the U.S. for shows in Las Vegas, San Francisco and beyond. Venues are yet to be announced. See the complete schedule below.
Joining Hawtin on the tour — which takes its name from Hawtin’s ‘90s label Plus 8 and its ‘From Our Minds to Yours’ slogan — will be a rotation of techno producers including Canada-based Barbosa, New York’s Jay York, Texans Decoder and Declan James, Phoenix-based Lindsey Herbert (who first encountered techno as an EDM fan on the CNTRL tour back in the day), San Francisco’s DJ Deep Pedi and the Guam-born, L.A.-based JIA. Each show will also of course include a set from Hawtin himself.
The tour has been created alongside Canada’s Genova Agencym, founded by Barbosa, Decoder, and fellow artist Garrett Finn (aka Rhyot), who in a joint statement say that “this tour is not just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us as artists and rising professionals to learn and grow, but a chance to inspire and lead the scene as a whole.”
Check out the dates below.
Together, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding delivered a pair of EDM classics with 2012’s “I Need Your Love” and 2014’s “Outside.” Now it looks like we may be getting more music from the pair.
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On Thursday (Jan. 12), Harris tweeted a casual photo of himself and Goulding in the studio, writing simply “back in the studio with Ellie Goulding!!” along with a CD emoji. In the photo Goulding, dressed all in black, smiles for the camera while standing in front of the mic clutching her headphones, while Harris, bearded, smiling and draped in green flannel, handles selfie duty.
Together, Harris and Goulding hit No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August of 2013 with “I Need Your Love.” Coming from Harris’ all time classic LP 18 Months, the song spent 25 weeks on the chart and served as a key track of the EDM era. 2014’s “Outside” — from Harris’ Motion — reached No. 29 on the Hot 100 and spent 20 weeks on the chart. Goulding was indeed one of the genre’s most crucial voices, appearing on tracks by Harris, Skrillex, Major Lazer, Seven Lions and a flurry of other genre stars.
In timing that perhaps means something but could also mean nothing at all, this news comes two days after it was announced that Harris is returning to Coachella this year, a show that will mark his first time playing the fest since 2014.
Either way, any new music from Harris would function as the followup to his 2022 album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. II, which itself featured a hefty list of collaborators including Halsey, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and many more.
See Harris ad Goulding’s studio picture below.
The current images of Iran on the news and social media are of impassioned protests from a resilient people who’ve had enough of their country’s oppressive Islamic regime. Most recently, the regime’s brutal retaliation methods have taken center stage, yet the Iranian people continue to resist.
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These uprisings, which have rippled across the globe and ignited similar protests among the Iranian diaspora in U.S., throughout Europe and beyond, were sparked by the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16, 2022. Her death was the result of beatings by the Islamic regime’s morality police, given as a punishment for her insufficient hijab — in this case, her head covering.
In the nearly four months since Amini’s death, the Center for Human Rights in Iran reports the wrongful imprisonment of more than 18,000 protestors and over 500 government-sanctioned murders, including barbaric public hangings. Among the prisoners facing possible execution are doctors, journalists, athletes, actors, directors, poets and musical artists. These include rappers Toomaj Salehi, Saman Yasin and Behrad Ali Konari, who are charged with “corruption on earth,” a capital offense in Iran. Per Newsweek, Yasin was convicted of this crime October, with a petition to save his life garnering thousands of signatures.
Early in the protests, Iranian musician Shervin Hajipour was also arrested for his song “Baraye.” Hajipour took the song’s heart-wrenching lyrics from online messages posted by Iranians speaking about what they are protesting, his emotional delivery resonating whether listeners understood the Farsi-language lyrics or not. In October, Coldplay performed a version of the song with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani at the band’s two stadium shows in Buenos Aires. And 95,000 of 115,000 submissions to the Recording Academy for its new special merit award, song for social change, were for “Baraye.” (The Islamic regime forced Hajipour to take down the song — although it lives on via social media.)
Since October, when Hajipour was released on bail to await trial, there has been no news on the musician’s whereabouts. Still, “Baraye” is the movement’s unofficial anthem — and is sung at global Iran protests, which continued this week (Jan. 8), as thousands of people marched in solidarity in London, Lyon and Rome.
This Iran of today stands in sharp contrast to the Iran of less than 50 years ago. At that time, under the rule of the country’s monarch, or shah, Iran was thriving in industry, healthcare and education. It was a progressive country becoming a player on the global stage — yet there was dissatisfaction among Iran’s lower classes.
Tapping into this longstanding discontent, the Islamic Revolution took place over the course of less than three months. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established by referendum on April 1, 1979. Overnight, the country rewound back 1,357 years to the time of the Prophet Muhammed and fundamentalist Islamic laws. Gone were all the entertainment venues. Artistic voices were silenced. Women were required to shroud themselves. The excitement of having a new regime that promised freedom of expression was quickly replaced with cowering fear.
As hardstyle queen Lady Faith puts it, “On one hand, you had so much history on display at all times, a representation of an advanced cultural history full of color and happiness. On the other hand, you have a regime that did everything in their power to cover the people in darkness, stamp out individual lights and force an entire population to live in the past.”
Many families fled the country, including that of house music stalwart Dubfire, who left with his family during the Islamic Revolution when he was seven years old, settling in Washington D.C. Dubfire – who won the Grammy for best remixed recording (non-classical) in 2002 – didn’t get immersed in Western music until he moved to the U.S., but was always drawn to the “atmosphere and sonic power” of traditional Iranian instruments.
Other families, like that of Faith, remained in Iran. Faith was born after the Islamic Revolution and grew up surrounded by art, in the form of the music and fashionable creations of her clothing designer mother, both of which were hugely influential on her. While she was gestating as an artist at home, nonconformist Faith was a misfit at school and a target for the morality police. In part to protect Faith’s safety, her family eventually moved to Portland. Her songs “Speak My Mind,” “We the People” and “Different” carry direct links to her teenage experiences in post-revolution Iran.
Up-and-coming producer Starfari, on the other hand, was born and raised in the U.S., long after the establishment of the Islamic regime. He visited Iran for the first time when he was 16, experiencing the country as a tourist.
In many ways, the oppression of the Islamic Republic has impacted these artists and their styles, with electronic music functioning as both a release for their challenging experiences and as a platform to pay homage to their homeland. Here, the three discuss how this heritage has helped shape their work, along with their feelings about the current protests.
What are your thoughts and feelings about what’s been happening in Iran since Mahsa Amini’s murder?
Starfari: My thoughts and feelings are mixed. I think it’s horrible what’s happening now, and especially what’s been happening the last 40 years, but I think it’s incredible that people are coming together to fight for what they believe. It’s surprising and remarkable how the people have held up, worked together, helped each other, and stayed resilient through it all. They’ve had enough. They have nothing to lose. The courage of the people of Iran should be praised. Since the beginning, I was optimistic that the people would be successful — even though my older relatives and parents weren’t. Regardless, Iran will never be the same.
Dubfire: Even though I never returned, I still feel a strong connection to my birthplace and people. Like most Iranians scattered around the globe, I too feel incredibly inspired by the brave youth, especially women, who are leading the movement for change. Their slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom,” as well as the protest song, “Baraye,” by Shervin Hajipour, has captured the hearts and minds of Iranians and non-Iranians the world over, including many of my artist friends. While the resistance to the Islamic Regime is not a new topic in Iran, the sheer energy and intersectionality of this current movement — along with the immediate access to online information — make it the [Iranian people’s] most promising crusade for change to date.
Lady Faith: The world is so colorful these days, and this Iranian regime is working overtime to keep its population isolated from having dreams and believing their lives could be better. This regime is determined to impose their will on everybody, because without the suppression, freedom for the people ends their corruption. Change, however, is inevitable sometimes.
Dubfire
Esteban Starfish
What are your impressions of the musical artists that have been arrested by the Islamic regime?
Dubfire: I was not familiar with any of these artists prior to the protests. Toomaj had previously been jailed [Salehi was arrested in September 2021 for speaking against the regime], yet he had the courage to once again openly criticize this regime from the streets of Iran. Despite the regime’s attempts to silence these pivotal artists, what we are witnessing is the opposite effect: They have been propelled into the international spotlight and are fueling much stronger opposition to this regime and its atrocities.
Lady Faith: One of the most effective ways to communicate is through music, and great Iranian artists such as Shervin and Toomaj have done just that. The Iranian regime knows the power of music to a population that wants to dream of a better future. Music is more powerful than guns, batons, pepper spray or even the most fearsome Basiji.
“Baraye” has received global attention including a 2023 nomination for the special-merit best song for social change Grammy. What do you think it will mean for Iranians across the globe if it wins?
Dubfire: Music has always been in part political, and so I’m thrilled to see Shervin’s beautiful and haunting “Baraye” resonating with so many people around the globe. As an Iranian Grammy-winning artist myself, I feel proud that his protest song has flooded the organizations’ submission box in an important new category, which is bound to be a highlight of all future awards and will undoubtedly embolden the revolutionaries in Iran.
Lady Faith: A Grammy for Shervin will be a powerful acknowledgment by the Western community of our struggles and sacrifices. Global attention will bring about change.
Starfari: It would show that the power of art extends beyond just personal enjoyment, to its strength in providing a lasting human connection around the world. It will also show that the music and art world stand in solidarity with the people, most importantly the women, of Iran.
What are some of your own experiences in Iran?
Dubfire: Most of what I recollect from those early childhood years [is] a bit hazy, but I was very happy and free, surrounded by the love I felt around my extended family. Our gatherings always involved the most lavish display of Persian cuisine one could imagine, and poetry readings backed by live instrumentation.
I have scattered memories of the revolution. My mother worriedly turning off all the lights in our home and holding my brother and I in the darkness while peering out at the madness in the streets. The fires, marches, chants and random acts of violence on full display. And me yearning for my father’s protection, absent at the time, as he was pursuing his doctorate in Washington, D.C.
Lady Faith: I was born in Tehran and the Islamic Republic of Iran is all I had ever known. It was adherence to a strict interpretation of Islamic law. For me, this was life as normal, but for my parents, it was a transitional time where everything changed and there was societal pressure to conform.
I developed a pretty rebellious spirit. It wasn’t long before I attracted the attention of the morality police, or Basij. These radicals, either plainclothes or covered in head to toe, were constantly chasing me and my friends. It was a lifelong game of hide-and-seek. I was never caught, but for those that were, the punishments were severe. I personally was threatened at gunpoint for playing Metallica within earshot of the Basij. It’s sad that almost every group of Basij had a conservative female or two with them. Women suppressing other women. Shameful!
Starfari: [When I visited], Iran had a much more somber feel at times than the photos. It was cold and rainy in Tehran. There were soldiers on many corners wielding automatic weapons. The energy I felt in homes of friends and family and in restaurants or out and about from the people was warm and welcoming. The people of Iran are how I had expected, at least the ones I met. I even went snowboarding! It seems to surprise people that Iran isn’t a desert.
Lady Faith
Courtesy of Lady Faith
What was it like assimilating to American culture? How did music help you in that process?
Dubire: The biggest challenge for my parents, brother and I was that we suddenly found ourselves in a strange and unfamiliar place, isolated from our relatives, most of whom stayed behind. Soon after, we were subjected to a great deal of hostility due to the prevailing hostage crisis. Intense images of Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers chanting “Death to America” were all over the media, and we watched in horror as life back home became even more foreign to us. And though we didn’t really feel welcome in our new home, we had no choice but to stay and rebuild our lives from scratch.
This was especially hard on my parents who had to work odd, low-paying jobs and long hours. Since I didn’t speak the language, I spent a great deal of time expressing myself through drawing, which in later years extended to photography and music. I quickly realized that I had a deep passion for the creative arts.
Lady Faith: The journey was not easy. It was a complex time, and music became my salvation. I had a passion for heavy metal and gangster rap, and while my family was very musical, these styles were taboo in Iran. I would listen with my friends behind closed doors. Music helped blunt the transition from the negative and colorless things that surrounded me wherever I went out in public. I was particularly rebellious during my teenage years. I am so lucky that my family was able to bring me to America. I truly understand the suppression going on among the youth and females in Iran. It breaks my heart to see their struggles.
Starfari
Priscilla Anne
Have the uprisings in Iran and the murders of Iranian people by the Islamic regime served as inspiration for you to create anything of your own?
Dubfire: Yes of course, but perhaps there is a different angle or approach I can take, musically speaking, which isn’t obvious and would resonate deeper into the fabric of the global electronic music community to galvanize the masses towards a specific goal. I will actually find out once I dive back into the studio [early this year.]
Lady Faith: The situation in Iran right now is very stressful and has great impacts on all Iranians. It is a cause that is very important, and I am still processing my feelings. When the time is right, I will consider making a musical contribution to the cause — but right now I do not wish to make any promises to my fans that I may not fulfill.
Starfari: I think what’s most important as far as my involvement in providing a response is my connection to people here in the States. When they can see something they have a connection to, it’s easier to make the horrors be more tangible.
What is your hope for the future of Iran?
Lady Faith: I hope and pray that there is major change in Iran, where its amazing people can become individuals living their own lives how they want and are allowed to dream of things that are not forced upon them. I have been blessed to be a part of the American society where freedom is something we take for granted — but I have lived in both environments, and I truly hope that more Iranians get to experience just a touch of what we get to take for granted.
Dubfire: We can all contribute by shining a spotlight on, and echoing the voices of, the brave protesters in Iran who are risking their lives for basic freedoms and democracy.