Pouya Ehsaei - People of the Wind

Experimental British-Iranian musician Pouya Ehsaei combines with multi-instrumentalist Tamar Osborn and vocal-performer Tara Fatehi for a collection of post-industrial, poly-rhythmic excursions that recalibrate the sounds of downtown 80s New York (think Battery Power Sound or Lesley Winer) and 80s Eno collabs (Byrne, Wobble, Cale) into an overtly ambitious set that's both alien and strangely hypnotising. The term 'post-genre' gets through about a lot these days, though it genuinely holds weight here, as the trio cycle through a cascade of African rhythms, no-wave inspired jazz-not-jazz work outs and moody electronics. Eshaei's name tops the bill, but you could equally credit Fatehi, whose vocals are stark and direct, and slippery in their poetic purpose. References are made to the 'healing music' of Zar, alongside dedications to the lives lost amidst the inhumanities of the East African slave trade, which aligns well with the thoughtful uniting of aesthetics and influence. Valentina Magaletti's recent collab with YPY feels like a solid point of comparison, and there's certainly crossover with the varied output of Oren Ambarchi and Natural Information Society, though the nascent energy and personality in the performance and composition belongs to the trio alone. 
 
FFO: My Life in the Bushes With Ghosts, Oren Ambarchi, Valentina Magaletti & YPY, Mark Freedman, Natural Information Society