HNYPOT 233: Aria Rostami's Uncharacteristically High Self-Esteem Mix
Live in San Franciscan long enough and you will be frequently tasked with answering for the confrontational amount of mentally-ill people that inhabit the streets of San Francisco. I imagine, and for most SF artists like him, this is a complicated conversation for Aria Rostami to have with house-guests. A city with weather ideal for vagabonding and streets and parks that we're claimed for adult exploration by the famous Summer of Love in 1967 - the rules of engagement were established long before his arrival in 2006. But as much as Berkeley philosophy, Castro sexuality, and Haight psychedelia have informed Rostami as an artist, so too has Tenderloin absurdity. Even without access to his Maya Deren and Cindy Sherman inspired social media posts, take a trip down Aria's discography and you can't help but be stuck in a room with the characters he has created. Although his songs might lead you into some dark and uncomfortable spaces, there is always a sense of humanity and hope in that space - trauma, recovery, renewal, dementia, Aria just wants you to look in the mirror with him. As he takes the leap to a new city, you can't help but hope the kabuki street theater, off-kilter melodies, and mystical poetry torpedoing through his productions are always recognizable from his days making love to San Francisco. When we asked Aria to make us a mix we were happy to receive anything at all, but it came as no surprise he took the concept and ran with it - his hands can't help but stain every proposal with skin cells, body oils, maybe even blood. So, we are so pleased to present to you a first for the potcast series, a compilation of 3 hours of original music made by Aria Rostami himself. A diary chartering us through the music made in various times he has lived in the city. Songs included date back as far as 2011 and as new as this year. A couple of minutes into this mix you can't help but wonder, does the fog roll in when Aria starts his machines? How hot does the room get from the oscillated breathing and side-chained moisture coming from these monitors? Is it getting too hot in here? Maybe I should strip down? Maybe I am just imagining things? Don't worry, we're all crazy honey. It's not just you.
Aria Rostami Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/ariarostami
Comments
Honey
Thanks for the ideas!:)