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Category: مقاله
Honestly, I think I have all the symptoms recited in this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania So I think I am eligible to be known as a “Maniac”. But the best part is that – in my opinion – they are all positive characteristics…
Mania has often been thought of as the opposite of depression. It is usually a feeling of well-being, energy and optimism. These feelings can get so intense that the person loses contact with reality. When this happens the person believes in strange things about their personality and they can often act in embarrassing ways and can sometimes even act in dangerous ways.
I think I depicted “losing contact with reality” at my best in Iconophobic album as I said
I don’t know if Iconophobia is really a psychological problem but I liked the idea of morbid alienation toward images, icons and in general, reality.
Meanwhile Sea of Tranquility e-zine has called my Iconophobic album containing “claustrophobic visions” or having an “impression is of an aching emptiness” as a “strong statement from my life in my home city of Tehran”.
Generally I don’t know if this is a prevalent condition among musicians or not… But in the meantime I think for creating such an abstract art like music, I had to balance those odd qualities with unusual amounts of “feeling of well-being, energy and optimism”. Actually to me those are all ways of surviving and breathing in the realm which our eyes perceive as The World – as weird, dark and bright it seems all at once…
Iconophobic is my world and I love it; however dangerous it maybe as DPRP webzine calls: “You need to tread carefully if you are entering the Iconophobic world of Salim Ghazi Saeedi. You have been warned.”
A “progressive” musician knows no border; but it seems that Salim Ghazi Saeedi’s ancestors enjoy hunting him down in his veins!
Iran, Tehran – Salim grew up in Iran; a country too proud of its ancient art. Nevertheless Salim from his early childhood, barely followed Iranian traditional music. But interestingly enough, now after 5 years of music composing and releasing 4 albums mostly in progressive rock, Salim is constantly receiving notions about his Middle Eastern themes and using Persian influences.
The oriental mystery within eastern musical themes along with their dance elements versus raw energy restrained in western rock could result in a thrilling experience. Meanwhile to Salim’s own surprise: “My music listening habit has mostly been focused around jazz, blues and modern rock. I’ve never studied eastern music or dedicatedly listened to such records! Actually if there is any eastern influence discernible in my works, it has happened involuntarily.”
In this regard, one may conclude that as a musician, no matter which genre you prefer or what listening habit you adopt, sometimes you cannot elude your ancestors, who may have hunted you in your veins for centuries! The following speculations on Salim’s latest release, Iconophobic, may testify the eastern lore within Salim’s veins while his ears dignify western tradition:
– “It mixes classical, rock, jazz and Persian music to create a mish mash of pain, longing and anger.” –Stave Magazine, Christy Claxton, Aug 2010 [more]
– “Equal parts fusion, classical, heavy rock, and Persian” –Spiritual Prog, Oct 2010 [more]
– “You do hear the definite eastern sound mixed in with most of his songs.” –ProgNaut webzine, Lee Henderson, Oct 2010 [more]
– “We can appreciate the writing skills of Salim and his great imagination to create images and sounds to merge styles that are located in the middle of far apart East and West” [In Italian] –Arlequins webzine, Jessica Attene, Oct 2010 [more]
– “There are definitely some Middle-Eastern sounds…” –Music Street Journal, Issue 85, Gary Hill, Dec 2010 [more]
– “With his one-man band, the artist also detour into areas such as fusion / jazz-rock and oriental music.” [In German] –Babyblaue Prog, Siggy Zielinskim, Oct 2010 [more]
– “Asian-Iranian folklore patterns combined with Western rock music.” [In German] –Progressive Newsletter #70, Volkmar Mantei, Nov 2010 [more]