Hermes Records: the vanguard of contemporary music in Iran

Ramin Sadighi is the founder of Hermes Records, a Tehran-based label founded in 1999 with the aim of producing and promoting the work of Iranian musicians and composers. Their artists draw on both Iranian and Western classical influences, producing work that encompasses the genres of contemporary classical, film music, sound art, rock and more.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Ramin in Tehran when he invited me to his studio for tea and one of the most interesting conversations I have had in a long time. We discussed music, politics, genre, censorship, protest, social change, Orientalism, heavy metal, Bach and more. I was particularly interested in our discussion of the notion of ‘underground’ in music and the effect this label has on Iranian musicians in particular. Ramin noted the double bind in which many Iranian musicians find themselves, since referring to themselves as ‘underground’ often gains them kudos in the form of ‘resistance capital’ among international audiences, yet at the same time can lead to increased censorship of their music in Iran. In any case, for Ramin the notion of underground is irrelevant in the context of Tehran since there is no real mainstream music scene from which the underground can diverge. In reality, Hermes is the only label dedicated to releasing cutting edge contemporary music by home-grown artists.

It is through Ramin and Hermes that I will connect with some of those musicians working at the forefront of contemporary music in Tehran. I am keen to discover more about their creative processes and musical influences, as well as their experiences as Iranian musicians operating within the international music industry. Ramin kindly offered introductions to a wide variety of musicians, effectively opening the door to the Iranian contemporary music scene and those blazing its trail. The journey begins, now let’s see where it takes me.