- A wild ride through decades of Persian culture.
- Mahur Club, the debut release from Maral, is explosive. The ideas are unusual, the bass is fried and there's a jagged but undeniable sense of groove. On Mahur Club, Persian musical history, the LA beat scene, Jersey club and experimental club music jostle in a tumble of sound. The mixtape features Maral's edits of Persian classical, folk and pop (alongside tracks from her contemporaries) fastened to drum patterns that span hip-hop, reggaeton and Jersey club. Sometimes, the lo-fi results recall early Flying Lotus or Onra's Chinoiseries. Other times, they're completely unique. Where else are you going to hear Persian string instruments soundtracked by a Jersey club drum pattern, as heard on the title track?
Many of the mixtape's tracks bang, but they're also beautiful. At the right moments, Maral lets the originals rip. On "So Glad I Found U," she moulds an Ashanti sample into an angelic choir worthy of Burial. On other tracks, such as "Joonie's Jam," she harnesses rough textures and adds hard, grungy drums. Things tend to switch suddenly across Mahur Club, which gives the 29-minute release a breathless pace that complements its ramshackle style. It's a wild ride through decades of Persian culture and contemporary dance music.
Tracklist01. Lori Lullaby
02. Joonie's Jam
03. Avesta Khani Reggaeton
04. In This Place (هیچ)
05. The Empty Edit
06. Oi
07. Lorestan Reggaeton
08. Setar Shred
09. Mahur Club
10. So Glad I Found U
11. Coy Dub
12. Don't Trip On Your Way Down
13. (Un)easy
14. Try/again
15. The Wind Will Carry Us