Reviews
Dislocated Pulse
The debut album by Persian kamancheh virtuoso and composer Mehrnam Rastegari is a short but sharp statement, brimming with confidence...
Reviewed in issue February/March/2026
GABBEH
NAVA’s debut album, GABBEH, weaves heritage, introspection and exile into a lush, cinematic soundscape. Rooted in her Persian culture, the...
Reviewed in issue February/March/2026
Dersim
Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin ft. Malabika Brahma
Gültekin plays the saz – a long-necked Turkish lute – while Hovanissian plays the duduk – a pipe hewn from...
Reviewed in issue February/March/2026
Nexus
Iranian percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi is a master of traditional Persian instruments, the tombak (a goblet drum) and the daf...
Reviewed in issue January/2026
Shiraz
Dedicated to his wife, filmmaker Shiraz Fradi, the latest album by Tunisian oud virtuoso and bandleader Dhafer Youssef is the...
Reviewed in issue January/2026
Where the Rain is Stored
Neda Mohamadpour, Mehdi Rostami, Isa Farah, Dhaivat Jani
Link Music Lab promotes Persian traditional music with experimental releases that explore fusions with other traditions and cross-cultural collaborations. In...
Reviewed in issue January/2026
Maqam Pilgrims
Egyptian-born oud player and composer Mustafa Said is one of the most illustrious names in Arabic music today. Born blind,...
Reviewed in issue January/2026
Fake Lines: Sono Levant
VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists
This new compilation draws together artists from across the Levant region and its diaspora. Put together by the non-profit record...
Reviewed in issue January/2026
The MCO Session
The MCO Session is Palestinian oud virtuoso Nizar Rohana’s revitalisation of his renowned trio format, featuring reimaginings of favourite pieces...
Reviewed in issue December/2025
