ASADI with XYE at Club Dada

Few artists can say they’re creating something entirely new and unique, but for musician and producer Danny Asadi – pioneer of Persian trap music – it’s all he’s ever done. Growing up in Ohio listening to the contemporary electronic and hip-hop of the average US teenager and also his father’s music brought back from Iran, he innovatively modernises and weaves Persian folk rhythms and melodies together with elements of trap, EDM and hip-hop; mastering traditional Iranian instruments like the setar as well as contemporary production and drum pads for high-octane, blistering live performances. Take his Red Bull 60 Second Solo, artfully bouncing between 21st century tech and a stringed setar that’s been used since the 15th century, or even earlier. A cinematic, East-meets-West thread runs through Asadi’s stunning visuals too, locating ultra-modern kit in ancient, beautiful landscapes alongside traditional folk instruments; a striking metaphor for his sound and entire ethos.
Identity is at the heart of this all for Asadi, describing himself – American born but with Iranian heritage – as someone that’s “in-between”, not quite of the East and not quite of the West. With Persian Trap, he isn’t just acknowledging this feeling, but embracing and harnessing it to create something totally fresh.

– redbull.com