With his third album, ‘Temple of Hope’, Iranian composer and experimentalist Saba Alizadeh presents an exploration of his homeland’s recent history and social movements. Drawing inspiration from the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests and the broader struggles faced by the Iranian people, Alizadeh crafts a musical narrative of electro-acoustics that result in an evocative body of work.
The album combines the traditional Kamancheh instrument with modular synthesizers, strings and a no-input mixer, creating a layered sound that reflects themes of resistance, resilience and uncertainty. Alizadeh collaborates with Andreas Spechtl, Sanam Maroufkhani and Leila Rahimi to provide vocals and lyrics to his compositions which add emotional depth to the record, while utilising historical radio sequences that provide cultural and historical context.
On the album and through the track titles, Alizadeh creates a soundscape that addresses complex emotions such as anger, hope and the drive for change. The deconstruction of acoustic and historical elements underscores the instability and transformation experienced in times of social upheaval.
‘Temple of Hope’ demonstrates Alizadeh’s ability to navigate the intersection of traditional Iranian music and contemporary composition, offering a reflective and thought-provoking listening experience.
