Located in Tehran, Iran, Vispa is an artist without restrictions when it comes to how one’s music ought to be like in his own country. His venture into electronic music appears unconventional but has the potential of being quite inspirational. Vispa was surrounded during his formative years with quite a diverse range of intellectual and cultural influences that have precipitated his making sounds that are distinctly different from others. He made his name initially in a completely different field: translation. His great ability to span linguistic divides earned him acclaim as the foremost translator in Iran.
His meticulous work translating between Farsi and English won him the coveted Grand Statuette for Best Translator, especially for his translation of a specialist book on judgment and decision-making. But deep inside his heart, he had always a fire going for music, particularly electronic music. The revolutionary sounds of Depeche Mode, the cinematics of Hans Zimmer, and avant-garde electronic innovations of Jean-Michel Jarre inspired Vispa’s initiation into music as a self-reflective exploration towards sound and feeling.
His experience translating plays a major influence in his music, enabling him to express abstract ideas and nuanced feelings in his works. Vispa’s sound is unique in blending elements of pop production from the golden age of the 1980s with futuristic electronics. In this regard, his music has a timeless yet futuristic soundtrack, thanks to a perfect blend of deep emotional undertones with strong rhythms and melodic synths. This was different and set him apart not only in Iran but also gained international stature.
Tehran’s own Vispa breaks ground with his debut EP on June 6, 2024, titled “Ideas.” This is a major turning point in his career and indeed in electronic music in Iran. “Ideas” redefines what electronic music ought to sound like and is much more than an EP. Vispa’s “Ideas” consists of seven tracks that masterfully combine the inventive potential of contemporary electronic music with the nostalgic sounds of the 80s. The first track, “Walking Into The Light,” embodies this charge-the feel-good, upbeat anthem-the sensibility of which is enough to fill dance floors and uplift people.
With tracks such as “Cosmic Force” and “Space Odyssey,” the EP conjures a sci-fi world. Every song is a fresh re-interpretation of an earlier composition of Vispa painstakingly re-recorded, re-mixed, and re-mastered with new sounds especially for this record release. A unified and engrossing experience is born out of Vispa’s ability to communicate ethereal ideas and feelings through the means of music. This EP is a true picture of his technical prowess and artistic vision, and should be hotly marked on the calendar by fans of electronic music and beyond.
Ideas EP Track List:
Cosmic Force (Original Mix):
“Cosmic Force (Original Mix)” from his EP “Ideas” is a mesmerizing trip, testing the limits of electronic music. I was swept away by the initial rushing synths to some sort of futuristic soundtrack. At the 0:03 mark, the music reveals its true spirit with a beautiful amalgamation of melancholic piano notes and very emotively precise synth sounds. A very soft mix of some percussion sounds and the kind of beat used in EDM renders it so easy-going and groovy. Add all this and one gets deep bass, which very nicely adds a touch of class to a progressive midtempo rhythm that is joyous and introspective.
As we go through the track, the sounds change, emerging in full form so as to imply a multitude of feelings in a single sonic experience. The interaction of the instruments is indeed magical; the piano and synth-piano move with the most beautiful grace and precision. This adds up to the track as an elevation to the peak of creative expression. Between 2:47 and 3:00, the music happens to take a twilight shade, with this subdued drama, as the sounds become again primarily under the synth-piano, adding quite a nice and reflective element. At 3:01, the groove returns again and starts to build and surge with intensity and emotion until climaxing at 3:33 when all of the track’s melodic qualities are reintroduced with renewed vigor.
That is what makes “Cosmic Force” the real winner; it can evolve and create an entire range of emotions. Internal and sad, the piece remains quite lively and engaging throughout. Vispa’s attention to detail has left me almost speechless, along with his ability to combine different elements into a cohesive whole. This is what the music would describe as a cinematic electronic revelation: a sample of Vispa’s talent to pull off tracks that are innovative and, at the same time, deeply moving. Clearly, “Cosmic Force (Original Mix)” makes for an extraordinary listening experience.
Flotation:
Vispa’s out-of-the-world piece called “Flotation” from the EP ‘Ideas’ bewitched me in many ways through its creative and emotional strokes. It was so much different from the rest that it dragged me instantly out, making me assume that I was floating in my own fantasy world. Right from the very first moment, I get strapped to this celestial travel that I am sent upon looking at the stars through Vispa’s amazing composition. The devastation is opened gently by drum-note elements and sweet sounding synth-piano, and then transits to a perfect ethereal within the electronic bass guitar. Flied into this kind of dreamy sonic world, the lines between reality and fantasy blurred.
As “Flotation” progresses, the ethereal piano sounds emerge, evoking a sense of an angelic orchestra. The presence of some percussive textures adds disheveled elegance and polishes the already sophisticated feel of the track. Between 1:05 and 1:22, the slight change in the piano melodies is very gentle yet leads further away into this astral plane. By 1:24, I was engulfed in pure ethereality around elegant synth sounds, soft shaky percussions, and the gentle padding of the drum beat. Divine piano melodies create a rhythm that feels both heavenly and earthy.
It is the rippling tempo, pretty much keeping it between mid and soft, incorporated with the dynamic, progressive rhythm that makes “Flotation” think so chilled out. It can evoke really a lot of feelings among listeners and cause every single one of them to interpret and feel the music in their own way. A sweet melody will weave nice stories and dreamy tunes, while keeping a nice, light groovy feel all along and evolving in a subtle way. Vispa’s “Flotation” is downright a masterpiece showing itself in terms of dreaming soundscapes – a glorious auditory experience within and without.
Walking Into The Light:
Vispa’s lead single “Walking Into The Light” is a really brilliant combination of creativity and emotion from the EP “Ideas”. From that moment I pressed play I was swallowed up into a huge wave of happy instrumentation, gloriously sustaining Vispa’s extreme passion and artistry. The song begins with an anthemic drum beat swiftly revealing a heavy full instrumental arrangement composed of delicate piano lacing and vibrant synth sounds with EDM beat and deep bass. This creates a rhythm that is happy and calmly vibrant with a slightly fast tempo that goes well with the flow of the music.
Unpredictability is one of its main attractions. At 0:27, an entirely fresh turn comes from EDM beat distortion, and by 0:35, some percussive synth-piano sounds join the upbeat dynamic and progressive rhythm. This complex interplay of instruments goes on and reverses into the initial format at 0:58 but with yet a refreshed and dynamic feel. I was held in place by the consistency and prowess of this happy, progressive rhythm, while the unique interplay between the instruments added layers of depth to the listening experience. It goes into a reflective part of the song between 1:47 and 2:00, with synths chirping like birds and voice harmonies resembling a peaceful and reflective atmosphere.
The development of the song gets back to pressure building at 2:01, with the EDM beat joining the harmonizing vocals and bird-chirping synths to form a flow that continues to evolve and be beautiful. Between 2:28-2:35 marks the musical transition of the song into metamorphosis, with sophistication makeup from synth movements presenting a new surface of dynamism. Such tight segments are squeezed into the track at 2:36 when it’s infusing the power and momentum again while showing off the experimentation with sound Vispa is ready to bring to bear while maintaining the soul and value of the music. The changes, transitions, and shifts one would observe from ” Walking Into The Light” would make it one of those phenomenal pieces to listen to indeed. Vispa’s creativity knows no bounds, and so will build walls or reason for every audience that loves such a fresh, innovative, and definitely emotive experience in music.
The groundbreaking EP titled “Ideas” not only proves the extraordinary talent Vispa bears but also hangs new standards for electronic music itself in Iran and the globe. Indeed, he creates a sound that is both future and nostalgic by bringing his own vision together with the legendary sounds of electronic artists. All of the EP’s songs are proof of his creativity and dedication to the craft. “Ideas” is an essential must-listen for anyone who likes avant-garde electronic music. That debut will surely be among the ‘greats’ in 2024: that of excellent auditory experience, very personal much more enticing for all listeners. There’s something new and special for everyone from “Ideas,” whatever one listens to, be it pop from the 80s, very contemporary EDM, or anything trying to look for new sounds.
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Listen to “Ideas” by Vispa and many more on Euphoric Playlist.
