Monday Mixtape. mentrix

musical globetrotting

“From Iran to America via Kampala, Cairo and Berlin, this is a 60 minutes Mentrix mixtape aimed to bring you some hardcorness and much delight. I did not want to include any of my own tracks but as I’ve just released a record a few days back I accepted the narcissistic move.“ - Samar Rad aka Mentrix

At this point, multidisciplinary artist Mentrix is far from being exhausted from fighting the good fight, since she’s constantly challenging our views and beliefs on feminism, gender roles, preconceptions on her homeland Iran, and that thing we love to describe as “global music“ from our ignorant Western point of view. She basically spent the last four years working on the accurate transition to introduce her artistic vision to the world - and the result is nothing less than breathtaking. Her debut album attests that she actually started making music through her spiritual practice, as she’s combining Sufi melodies and rhythms with dark electronica to impressive results while telling tales about sisterhood, home, love, loss, and what it feels like to be caught between two worlds as an independent woman of Iranian background. The accompanying short films - the term “videos” wouldn’t really do its cinematic vigor justice - were realized with emerging French director Gilles Estève on site in Iran, fascinating visual statements that not only bow to the beauty this country has to offer, but to the complexity of Mentrix’s vision and the points she aims to get across.

My Enemy, My Love / album / House of Strength

photo: Emile Barret

 

Track Listing :
01.    My Enemy, My Love - Mentrix - House of Strength
02.    Saeid Shanbezadeh - unknown - unknown
03.    Judgitzu - Kelele - Nyege Nyege Tapes
04.    Morshed Mehregan Gerami - Salam-E-Bastani - unknown
05.    Dina El Wedidi - Headache - Kirkelig Kulturverksted
06.    Swans - Screen Shot - Young God Records
07.    Katmah - Ramallah - New Appliance
08.    Nihiloxica - Birii - Nyege Nyege Tapes
09.    Dina El Wedidi - All I need - Kirkelig Kulturverksted
10.    Tzuzing - Esther - L.I.E.S
11.    Kayhan Kalhor - Duet for Kamancheh and Tombak - Traditional Crossroads
12.    Idassane Waller Mohamed - Ahiyana - Sahel Sounds
13.    Kayhan Kalhor - Duet for Kamancheh and Tombak - Traditional Crossroads