Influenced by the glory days of Western pop of the seventies, and infused with the wealth of rich Iranian musical tradition, the newly remastered record The Lost Recording Season (19741978) – Vol. 1 by Soheil is more than just its music this is a cultural preservation. Carefully remastered from original sources by Farbod Biglari, it breathes new life into recordings that languished (long deemed lost) to allow the world a glimpse at the innovative spirit of an artist whose voice was extinguished too young.
Soheil is a music between East and West. His music adapts the elements of old-school synths, soulful strings, and Persian folk cadence, mixing them with Western pop stylings and creating something that feels classic. Songs such as Namake Zendegi (Take 1) begin with old school synth flourishes that then develop into a unique Iranian soul approach, whereas Sadaf encloses the listener in a smooth folk sound and an easy going groove. Yeki Bood Yeki Nabood is as lyrical as a fairytale in Persian with violins and soaring voices harmonized in cinematic grandeur whereas Gole Booseh is playful through the enthusiastic duets by Bahareh. The album ends with the instrumental piece Nimeh- Ye Naatamam which revisits the longing and blue melancholy of the opening piece but in an instrumental form.
The Lost Recording Season is not merely an album, it is also a story. Soheil was a talented singer in the 1970s Iran, who did not get the opportunity to make his music known to the broader audience. Political revolution and his untimely demise sunk his recordings in magnetic tape where it lay dormant for decades. By meticulous editing of these delicate reels his nephew Farbod, his great-nephew now, has brought them to life with a concern as much for the history as for the art.
Farbod does not employ the heavy-handed modern production. He undertakes to maintain this genuineness of the era rather than removing the flaws, he left a breath of a singer, the ambiance of the walls of the studio, even the grains of the recordings of that time. This commitment produces an experience that is intimate and in the moment, drawing the listener back in time to a time when Iran was a musical powerhouse of ground-breaking experimentation.
What comes out in the 14 tracks album is not only nostalgia, but innovation that stands out to be marvelous even in 2020. The songs are all like time capsules and you have some pieces of a culture that could otherwise have been erased. Soheil broke new grounds with his daring merger of the traditions of his nation, Iran, and the western way of life, and hence findings in his work a great artist of his time, ahead of his age.
The Lost Recording Season 1974-1978 Vol. 1 is something more than a re-made record. It is a rebirth, bridge cultural and a sacred act of continuation. With listening we not only get back the voice of Soheil but also the history of Iranian music that we had lost, once again becoming alive.
