Nesa Azadikah & AIDA’s ‘Polychrome’: A Moody Journey of House & Techno
The four-track EP is the debut release of the Iranian producers’ record label, Apranik Records.
Having initially come together in 2022 to curate a compilation that shed light on the uprising and daily struggles of Iranian female artists, Tehran-born producers/DJs Nesa Azadikhah and AIDA are once again joining forces on a new EP titled ‘Polychrome’.
Marking the debut of their label, Apranik Records, EP introduces an ominous and moody take on house, techno and breaks, highlighting the pair’s versatile musical style and shared cultural background.
While the four-track EP doesn’t feature joint tracks from Nesa and AIDA, their individual productions are thematically linked, resulting in a cohesive sonic flow. On Nesa’s ‘Where Can Be Home’ and AIDA’s ‘Unknown Journey’, we see them employing polyrhythmic progressions and accelerated pads to capture their complex emotions and relentless search for belonging, or a place to call a home.
Their shared affinity for dark atmospheric house is evident in the first two tracks of the EP, ‘Levitate’ and ‘Chant’. The latter of which saw AIDA pairing her distinctive acid-infused house mix with muffled frame drum patterns and Sufi chants from Iranian heritage, evoking a trance-like feel. Nesa, however, takes a different approach in ‘Levitate’, incorporating elements of acid to craft a more groovy-focused and club-ready cut.
