Part 2

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?
 
I love all sorts of extremes, especially when they are in company with each other, connected but still different in nature. Sometimes extreme sounds are delivered so beautifully that you don’t even notice the progression from one extreme to another. That is my favourite sound journey, when I’m lifted from one end to another.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?
 
Fil o Fenjoon; ZÖJ’s new album is my dearest album. Although there are other albums that have contributed so much to my musical growth and the discovery of who I am and what I want as a musician, this album is the sound of our life.

This album was so difficult to make, from finding the best way to record it and the best sounding room, to dealing with health issues that threatened the production of the album. I personally have changed so much from when we started this record to when it was finished but I’m still surprised by how good Brian and I sound together.

To talk about the recording and creation of this album; we spent one day at The Salon at Melbourne Recital Centre with Myles Mumford our beautiful sound engineer. We lived an entire musical journey in a day together.

I had taken my instruments and favourite poem books and Brian had brought his whole kit and most favourite percussive toys. Our only plan was to improvise but always keep in mind that there is a third musician in the room who we must leave space for. We had this plan because we wanted to overdub later but when we listened back, we decided to leave the tracks as they are and only ended up adding some additional voice to two tracks.

Listening, the room, Brian and poetry were my inspirations during our recording session, later when we did the two vocal overdubs, the Women, Life, Freedom movement and my voice which was recovering from a major surgery were the biggest influences on me.

Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

In ZÖJ we do both. We sometimes have structure that that can be anything, it can be form, dynamic, poetry, story, theme, length, melody or rhythm.

Sometimes we are super spontaneous and have absolutely no structure, but in all situations, improvisation and experimentation are a huge part of our collaboration. In live settings, the biggest influence is the space and our audience.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

Absolutely. Every moment of life is an inspiration to what I create. Life events are one of the main sources of learning and change. Every day I learn new things in different ways that change me and the way I think which directly effect my music making, collaboration and decision making towards music.

I am so grateful for how pure, honest, and direct ZÖJ is. It is a true reflection of our lives and what is happening around us. The music we make and the way we approach it is a part of many moments of our lives, from our conversations during our daily swim, to our friends and family gatherings, or while cooking in the kitchen and listening to music.

I’d say music more effects our lives and helps us understand things in a deeper level in life rather than life helping music.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I think any task can be deeply meaningful even if it is defined as mundane task, but also the most meaningful task can be delivered in a very meaningless way.

When it comes to music, I believe we can’t hide our initiations unless we look at music as a task.

Music, especially when performed live, defines and forms the moment and the time of lives of performers and audience. We all hear the same thing but listen differently based on how we feel in those moments.

Those feelings and the way we listen is defined by our experiences in life, but no abstract form of art can bring people together like this. This is a very deep and amazing form of togetherness with a sense of freedom that can only be limited by the listener and musician themselves.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

Wow! I actually had to go and listen to this album/track, how beautiful. That also led me to some other electronic artists. Thanks for that!

Yes, there are many pieces of music that choke me up or lift me, I float within a space and I’m not sure where that is, where there’s no gravity or sense of embodiment. Sometimes these pieces are associated with an event in life, but sometimes the music itself introduces a feeling or connection to existence.

One of the songs that always chokes me up is “Saya” by the beautiful Sona Jobarteh. Her beautiful voice and tone in this song, the lyrics and its darkness always get me. I absolutely love and crave this piece of music.



The first few times that I listened to this song I didn’t know the meaning of the lyrics, when I looked them up, I understood why I get so emotional every time I listen to this song. Music is so powerful and universal.

If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?
 
I have many wishes for the future of music - I wish for women’s voices to be free in Iran. I wish for formulated consumerist corporate music to give way to independent musicians. I wish to hear better music in restaurants, cafes, commercial ads and shopping centres. I wish for deep listening to become a popular approach for the majority of people, and recognition of the value of music in our everyday life as an essential form of art. I wish for music to stop wars and for it to bring peace and equality.

That was one hell of a list but at least wishing is free.