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I wonder if I personify all human qualities at their extremes.
The same in love as relentless.
The same a saint as heretic
The same a man as woman
I am human

"When There is More Beauty in the Contrary", Negar and Salim's single released on 1/1/11, is an oud and electric guitar instrumental. It is a portrayal of ancient east versus modern west.

"Combining traditionally dissimilar forces into one cohesive composition", this song reflects its composers' backgrounds in Persian contemporary and progressive rock genres.

The moment I came out of my mother's womb, I cried. Now, after finishing "Iconophobic" I know why. That deep void was a reality that I lost. I followed some chords. Hoping that they lead to the umbilical cord...

I used screaming guitars, classical instruments, electronic beats and even sound effects to grumble, pour out my heart, mourn and rejoice repetitively.

This album is a concept album about fearing the world of imagery. I don't know if it is really a psychological problem but I liked the idea of morbid alienation toward images, icons and in general, reality. Iconophobic's booklet contains a passage in form of a circle that reads:

"Alas that man was free...When there was no image.
Alas that image became a means... for altering the reality.
Alas that reality... is itself, an imagery by man."

"Abrahadabra" is a reflection of my exaggerated personal feelings. It is the first endeavor to my idea of “pictorial rock” - i.e. composition of sounds that recite a sequence of mental pictures. Actually all of these instrumental tracks have a real-life story behind them. There are very vague allusions to these stories in the CD booklet. e.g. “Route” is the story of a death ceremony and recites the mourning over the dead in a way that is done in eastern culture. Or “Told to the Bird” is the story of my own confession to a bunch of flying birds in a ritualistic way... In one sentence, while composing this album, I felt very lovesick, idealist and outraged.

Welcome to my daydream: "Avant-garde ancient art-rock from Iran".

"The music has from time to time the same darkness as we know from Univers Zero." -Iconophobic album review
"[It is] far removed from the avant-garde parts of any musical universe"
"You need to tread carefully if you are entering the Iconophobic world of Salim. You have been warned."
"Iconophobic is a strong statement from Salim on life in his home city of Tehran."
"Without information freely given, the visceral heart of the creator will serendipitously change you."
"Without ever becoming predictable, and taking care to add in the odd dissonant or arhythmic segment, the gritty guitars and swirling violins create stunning contrasts..."
"...Hendrix and Santana have also obviously instructed the phenomenal axe genius that Salim truly is."
"After careful listening I really wasn't able to find any particular artists that have influenced them more than others, or indeed pinpoint any specific influences at all."

I dream... and dream... and dream...
I live in my world of fantasy.
Walking in this world, I compose as I hear, and rest as I quiet.
Pictorial rock is a term I use for my music that is usually based on series of mental images, a nightmare or maybe dreams of a sound sleep... As a listener, you have to wait for the pictures to materialize in your mind!

Salim's main influences include Jeff Beck and Thelonious Monk. He says about his own style of music: "I never decided to compose in progressive rock genre. I just have a very versatile taste of music listening... Maybe this is how progressive genre takes place. You let your mind free and it becomes progressive!"

Salim is an Iranian composer and guitarist in a variety of genres ranging from progressive metal and jazz-fusion to avant-garde classical chamber rock and progressive electronic rock. Moreover some critiques, prefer art rock instead and recognize his music with a minimalist approach.