Ata Ebtekar (who has previously recorded as Sote) is an increasingly visible composer with feet firmly planted in the electronic and sound art music worlds. Growing up in Iran and then Germany, he has a unique perspective on Iranian/Persian music. His most recent widespread exposure was through Sub Rosa's two-disc set "Persian Electronic Music - Yesterday and Today". A stunningly effective and well-presented project, it allowed Ebtekar the chance to compile historical electronic compositions from Alireza Mashayekhi on the first disc, and then to showcase his own music on the second. On that second disc, we were presented with a fascinatingly rich and compelling blend of abstract, electronic, musique concrete, and classical Persian music. That 2007 compilation remains highly relevant today, and still deserves a wider audience. It also set the stage for this release, a gorgeous double vinyl set from the Bay Area Isounderscore label. Taking his own interest in Persian music and electroacoustic techniques, it seemlessly integrates Ebtekar's work with that of Mashayekhi. Their collaboration for over three years in Tehran has resulted in a partnership that paves the way for what musical and artistic collaboration might be in the future. It's so successful that determining where Ebtekar and Mashayekhi have contributed becomes a pointless quest. Instead, one should focus on the phenomenal sounds that emerge from these two platters. Ebtekar has taken the compositions of Mashayekhi, using both studio and live recordings, and used them as primary sound sources for his own electronic modifications. What results is a mysterious and unique blend of musical traditions, styles, and aesthetics that goes far beyond the simple cut and paste or layering techniques of most collaborative efforts. Ebtekar is able to channel the very essence of Mashayekhi by using the core DNA of his musical ideas to inform his own creations. The listener is reminded of both classical and electronic music traditions, but before being pulled too far in either direction, is able to absorb the new music as something wholly other. Harmonic and melodic elements, microtonal passages, silence, and digital noise all offer signposts, but this is essentially new aural territory greater than the sum of its parts. Ebtekar also deftly straddles the line between digital and analog, with cellos and violins allowed equal spaces with synthetic tone clusters and mini-bursts of noise that would certainly appeal to Xenakis listeners. On repeated listens, the music reveals itself to be full of life and suggestive of multiple strands of the cultural and social history of Iran. The recording quality is superb, with the work of the Iranian Ochestra for New Music shining beautifully through the mix, and making this collaboration come to vivid sonic life in ways that would never have been possible if Ebtekar had just used samples for his sources. It may sound cliche to say that Ebtekar has created a modern meditation on the tensions between tradition and the future, but the cumulative effect of listening to these four sides is both intellectual and emotional. It's not often that a release challenges in the ways Ebtekar and Mashayekhi's work does, and we're all the better for it. These two records are by no means an "easy" listen, but their rewards are many, and one hopes that they will find welcoming ears among electronic music listeners, those interested in electroacoustics, and those curious about the history and potential future direction of Iranian music. Isounderscore has done a wonderful job with the packaging and the presentation (including liner notes and lovely artwork), and it's to their credit that they've attempted to spread this music far and wide. Certainly a top ten contender for 2009, and one that should be regarded as a career milestone for Ebtekar. 9/10 -- Eric Hardiman (4 June, 2009)