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"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.

As I came to Earth in 1981, I involuntarily came into contact with human race. Except for a few bright encounters, I found the rest, dark and ugly. “Human Encounter” is my diary of these encounters. This album is divided into two categories:

The “dark side” reflects the ugly experiences. I noticed that human beings have a tendency to call everything by a name and misunderstand it later. So I do not care what they may actually mean by a word like "evil"; but no doubt human beings themselves are the main source of terror, pain and destruction on Earth.

The “bright side” reflects the pleasures I encountered in this planet. I say no pleasure happens on Earth without a human medium; so the corresponding songs are dedicated to individual human beings. Of course at first sight, Earth seems physically alluring, but those are only temporary characteristics. The only immortal thing is what a man creates.

Now that I am departing this planet, I will only miss a few people like those I named in the “bright side”... Let the others putrefy in the abyss of time.

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

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!

"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."

In Ustuqus-al-Uss album I somehow inclined to jazz fusion and classic instrumentation. I think the eastern “blend” still dominates e.g. in “Ustuqus-al-Uss-al-Avvalin” which I think is the most progressive song I have ever composed (The second catchy guitar solo is performed by Pouyan). Some songs are extremely personal e.g. “Naught been I thou” which is an off-beat jazzy tune with unusual dance elements... These songs are my utmost fears and hopes - to a degree that made me mute from communicating by words. And thus they become instrumental sounds...

"Sovereign" is an instrumental recitation of Shahnameh (The Epic of Kings) i.e. an extensive Persian epic poem written by Ferdowsi as a collection of Persian mythologies. Here you will find western rock instrumentation with eastern flavor. Some songs, I think, are apt to be adapted for traditional Iranian dance; especially “Sovereign” and “Harem” tracks. Actually, I am looking forward to the choreographic performance adaptations for this work whenever possible. Imagine Iranian "Coffee-house paintings" and belly dance with distorted guitars performing cheerful rhythms... Unusual combination? No, to me that sounds all natural!

"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.

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."

Wat je ver haalt is lekker.