Residues I. Ostinato (بعد از دلکش و تجویدی) (2021) – clarinet, violin, cello, prepared piano (8′)
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For the past few years, I have been fascinated by the web of connections that exist between us and what we create. In particular, the myriad of influences we take in throughout our lives and how these influences commingle to make us who we are. How one influence influences another and the chain that forms in these interactions: the leftovers of leftovers forming their own entity.

In Residues, I am interested in exploring the ways that sounds and practices influences each other, not simply as mimicry, but as things which exist as things themselves, related to their sources, but not attempting to be those separate constituent parts.

In this first work in the set, the voice of 20^th–century master vocalist Delkash (دلکش) takes the central role—explored through the guise of the vocality of the clarinet. The vehicle for this exploration is the classic song Ātash-e Kārevān (آتش کاروان) “Caravan Fire” by one of Delkash’s close collaborators, master violinist and composer Ali Tajvidi (علی تجویدی)—an ostinato from the original tune becomes the anchor point. Tied into this dual focus on the tune and Delkash’s powerful voice, is the vehicle for these two coming together and our ability to listen to and remember these two artists today: the magnetic tape. I remember my father listening to this tape Sunday mornings, in all of its noisy and rich imperfection—the piano echoing this memory in a warm bed of noise, a resonant din of tinny bass.

من هم ای یاران تنها ماندم
آتشی بودم، برجا ماندم

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