KIOSK

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Kiosk: Sound Check!
After months of hearing about Kiosk’s music and live shows and watching their videos, I’m an audience of one at their sound check, on the day of their Orange County show at the Galaxy Concert Theatre. It’s just before 2 pm now; they’ll be joined by Ardeshir Farah (guitarist of Strunz and Farah fame) and this place will be packed by 8.

This venue is in the middle of an ugly, flat, boring industrial area (welcome to Orange County) and looks like nothing from the outside. But I was told by the guy at the door that it was actually built in the 1950s and the inside looks a bit like a cross between a dungeon and a circus tent. It’s a proper theatre with tiered seating, but booths and tables instead of rows of seats… and the best part is that it smells of old gin and the vinyl on the chairs is cracked. I’m pleasantly reminded of New York.

They’re in full swing now, playing “Afsoos”… the guitars sound really good but I can barely hear the lyrics. Which means this is going to be a proper rock show.

[Rasputin]

The truth is I was a bit nervous at first. After all, it is not often that I have the chance to meet a total stranger whose voice has become a part of my every day routine. Odd as it may seem, this one dimensional nature of fame is an inevitable reality for all successful artists including the one I was about to interview. Adapting to increased recognition and celebrity is an adjustment that Arash Sobhani will most likely have to make in the upcoming years because both he and his band Kiosk [kiosk-music.com] have gained significant popularity and recognition recently across the US, Europe and Iran and show no signs of slowing down. Accompanied by two dear friends/hosts from the Bay area, (one of whom is the infamous Jahanshah of Iranian.com) I walked in to the Steps of Rome Cafe. Our trio had been running a bit behind driving into San Francisco from Berkeley and Arash had been on time so he must have gotten bored and left to go walk around. I took advantage of the few extra minutes I had to set up my laptop and order a latte, while someone else called him and within a few minutes he was walking into the café. Dressed both very casual and very San Francisco, Arash is the type of person who puts you immediately at ease. Easy going and calm, he has a big smile and a balanced, effortless energy which makes understanding and connecting with his music even more real when you meet him in person. After a few minutes of small talk and some pictures, my friends leave for a stroll around North Beach, and our conversation begins.

M: What influenced you growing up?
A: I grew up listening to Bob Dylan and Dire Straits and Rock music in general. I also read a lot of books and that gave me a good balance of exposure to both Western culture and Iranian literature. I think those who left the largest impact on me personally are Sadegh Hedayat and Shamloo.

M: How long have you been living in the States now and what type of music do you listen to for your own pleasure? For example, what would I be able to find on your iPod right now?
A: I left Iran 3 years ago to settle here permanently, but I used to live in the US when I was younger. As for music, I am currently into a lot of Argentinean, Gypsy, Eastern-European, World, or Ethnic music. Not the same as what I perform in Kiosk obviously.

M: Kiosk has existed for a very long time now and has gone through many changes. Can you please explain where the concept came from and how the band has evolved?
A: The concept and inspiration for Kiosk came from me and then there were other individuals who joined in and helped in forming what later became the band. Some of the original musicians are still in the band today, but there are others that came and went and then there are also those who will participate on a limited as-needed basis.

M: I have heard Kiosk classified under a variety of different types of music, but I would like to know what you personally would call your style of music.
A: There are variations in every track and each album, so it is not easy to call it one thing. You can hear Jazz, Blues, Rock, and even a little Country in there. The music is definitely “Alternative” from what currently exists and is the norm in our culture, which is mostly pop. Traditionally, this style of music was always referred to as “underground music” in Iran and while it may not be called underground anymore, because we are not literally performing “underground” here anymore, it is still underground to me because it cannot be sold freely in Iran and Iranian society still continues to be underground in so many ways.

M: There have been many attempts to bring Western influence into Iranian music, especially in the area of pop, which have mainly had awkward results at best. How then, do you explain the success of fusing foreign music with Iranian lyrics to create something that is so naturally representative of Iran and of our generation?
A: I am not really sure I can comment on why something works or not in the Iranian Pop industry, but as far as Rock is concerned, I think it is the same across the world. Rock is the music of protest. It is the music of simple feelings, and of simple expression. It is not intended to serve a specific class or certain group of people. It is the music of all people. I think the biggest challenge that Rock music had in Iran was with the lyrics. Because of our rich and complex literature and verse we have this extremely elevated standard set for ourselves and we think all good work must have that level of verse to go along with it. We felt that we must use deep lyrics from deep sources, and that simply does not work in Rock music.

M: Well, your Lyrics are extremely deep and I think they are what actually “MAKE” the band stand out and really be remembered. Not only is the message in each song very thought provoking but the words just seem to roll out naturally. It seems ironic to me that, in a society where we have such a hard time speaking clearly and directly about the simplest things, you manage to communicate your feelings about all the social maladies around you in a very informal, effortless and direct manner.
A: It was the lyrics that made us; I won’t deny that. The music is huge too, but I think we have always been about the lyrics and the message first. The cultural restrictions that you’re talking about, I see in 2 forms. There are 2 sets of restrictions imposed on us right now; the first is government-imposed and the second is self-imposed. In order for Iranian society to reach the same level of maturity as its western counterparts in a capacity of open and direct communication, it first needs to have the government-imposed restrictions lifted. Once this happens, the society itself will still need to go through the growing pains of learning and developing to reach the next level so that it can then remove the self-imposed restrictions that remain. Only then will it reach the maturity of open and direct dialogue, but the first step still remains the lifting of government-imposed restrictions which are very much in place right now.

M: You have 2 great albums out and a successful North-American tour behind you now. Should your fans expect a continuation of the same or will they start to see the influence of your new environment in your new material taking on a new direction?
A: We really do not come up with a concept or idea first and develop it, the way the big record labels operate. We try to express our message in a way that is genuine and true to ourselves and according to our standards and values and we hope that it is received well by the fans as well. We never create any of our music with any marketing ideas or final product in mind, so if there is a connection, it is truly direct. Most importantly, we won’t limit ourselves or try to force anything. We are not going to try to force our Iranian identity on a track by sticking a piece of santoor on there, but if it fits in naturally and we feel like it sounds good there, then we will put it in. The same would be true if it was any other instrument from anywhere else.

M: Iran and social consciousness is not only the universal theme of your lyrics but also an essential part of the band’s identity. Now that you are all outside of Iran and have lost that daily contact, how do you feel that will change your inspiration?
A: I think you can always spot a liar from far away. My commitment to myself is to always be honest with what I write and the message I speak, whether it is about Iran, about myself, about here, about San Francisco, about Mashhad, it doesn’t matter where. As long as I feel it genuinely, then I will say it. I am sure that certain experiences about my life here will eventually find their way in my lyrics but honestly, I think I have lived in Iran long enough that I will have 2 lifetimes’ worth to speak about Iran without ever feeling like I will run out of material.

M: Some Iranian artists who have achieved recognition for their talent in highly competitive European countries have criticized the Iranian art community for failing to establish adequate standards and critics, both as a means to institute basic guidelines as well as a means to weed out those who fail to meet them thereby preventing them from polluting the industry. What is your opinion about this suggestion?
A: I have to disagree with whoever said this. I don’t think music belongs to any one particular person for them to judge what should or should not be. I think the best judge is the listener and whether they connect with the message or not. As for establishing any type of standard, I think it would be cool to have a top 40s or something like that to keep track of what is popular, to know what is selling and what doesn’t, just to be able to follow what the trends are over time. Other than that people should just be allowed to do their own thing.

[Rasputin]

M: Now that you have gotten the chance to go on tour and you have gotten to see Iranians all over the US and in Canada, what do you think of your fans? Who are they?
A: Well, Iranians are really different in each city as you know. It was interesting to see the characteristics of each community in each area. For example in Toronto we went in nervous at first and then we psyched ourselves up and we thought we were going to blow this crowd away, and they were the ones that really ended up blowing us away. They knew all of the lyrics and they truly blew us away. For the most part I would have to say our audience is comprised of professionals, mostly college educated, mostly male, over the age of 50, broken-hearted, followers of Iranian current events, and internet savvy.

M: I know you’re an architect and that is your main job and music is your hobby, but how committed are you to music and how long can we expect to hear from Kiosk?
A: There are 2 conditions that this group is based on. The first is that we perform for our own enjoyment and the second is that we do so at a high standard. I think as long as we continue to enjoy ourselves and keep up a high standard, our audience will also enjoy it because the feeling that is shared on stage is passed on to the crowd.

I am sure somewhere, someone has written a “How-To” manual on interviewing and Arash in all probability might have secretly been wishing he had bought me a copy of it sooner but he was too nice to let it show. Before we knew it, 2 hours had rolled by and some of my questions had taken us on various tangents which were all fascinating of course. Ultimately, what I found most captivating about Arash is that, although he may think he is just an ordinary guy, he embodies an ideal, especially for our generation. He is what Iran might look like without those 2 types of restraints we spoke of earlier. He is a great example of what Iranian identity looks like when it is unleashed with the kind of limitless freedom of expression and self-definition that is emblematic of the west. A young man who communicates with such openness and ease that I find it difficult to give him an example of the opposite. But, fortunately for me, he knows exactly what I am talking about and it is precisely this equilibrium I see in him which is what I like the best.

I catch the flash of a camera from the corner of my eye and turn to my left. It is Jahanshah standing outside and taking a very artsy photo. I also take this as my cue that they are back from their stroll and it’s time to wrap things up and let poor Arash leave. I was told repeatedly how nice he was before meeting him and of course when he agreed to meet with me for an interview on such short notice, despite not feeling well and coming down with a cold, it made him even nicer. However, this was not a care bear cartoon and we were not giving out free hugs. I wanted to know what really drove him and as we were wrapping up a conversation about (my favorite topic of 2007) Iranians in Iran versus abroad, he mentioned something that finally hit the spot. He was talking about how often when Iranians want to show disapproval or criticize someone they feel they need to do so in a competitive way.

It is not good to be competitive. We have nothing to prove. Life is not competition. It is simply about a scream that is caught in your throat and that has to be released and that has to be let out. If you can get it out, then get it out, and if you can’t then stand aside and let someone else do it.

There it was. I found it! The “bug”, the “kerm”, “el duende”, however you want to call it, there is something that all artists have in common, and he was no exception. Those who perform, are questioned rather often as to why they have chosen to do what they do and in my limited experience, their reaction is typically the same. They have chosen their art because they have no other choice. Just as he mentioned it is a scream that needs to be let out, whether it is in the form of music, or poetry, or live performance or something else. In Arash’s case, while finding and fine-tuning his scream, he also has given a voice to the frustrations and daily plights of a generation of his peers. It may not be completely traditional, or have the widest range but it fits us only like our own skin could.

For more information, please visit kiosk-music.com. My gratitude goes out to Arash Sobhani for the time he gave me for this interview.

[Rasputin]

"Jadeh Khoshbakhti"
Music by Kiosk

Video by Nader Davoodi www.naderdavoodi.com
For Kiosk www.kiosk-music.com

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCBeGmNs6S0"]YouTube - "Jadeh Khoshbakhti" by Kiosk[/ame]

[Rasputin]

Kiosk's "Ay Ay"

Unofficial video

Song from Kiosk's new album Global Zoo

KIOSK North American “Global Zoo” tour:


November 14, 2008 - San Francisco, CA Mezzanine (with special guest Babak Amini)
November 16, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre (with special guest Babak Amini)
November 28, 2008 - Seattle, WA Neumos
November 30, 2008 - Vancouver, Canada Richards on Richards

Visit www.kiosk-music.com for details!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e65okgtmLGI"]YouTube - Kiosk - Ay Ay - Global Zoo[/ame]

[Rasputin]

To jump right in, the thing I love most about Kiosk, is their predictable unpredictability. Just when you think you have them pegged, that they are going to shift from what you know, they shift off into a different direction dragging you not so much as surprised, but gladly so behind them. You're like a late entry to a long conga line at a wedding and you only have enough time to ask the person in front of you, "Where the hell are we going?"

Whether done on purpose, or merely a haphazard result of the free creative process, Kiosk's latest album, "Global Zoo" takes us on the wildest ride yet. Stretching our imagination over the span of rock, blues, tango, waltz, and dare I say country western, and urrrp the long thought dead Disco!

The album as a whole has far better audio quality and is better mixed than any album so far. Clearly the investment in a quality studio and finally coming out of the basements and home recording studios has paid off. The sound is so much richer and deeper and the quality of each instrument is superb in this latest presentation of free Iranian art.

Ever the social critic, the lyrics are once again, cryptically poignant as Sobhani monotones his patentable nasal voice through possibly some of the most critical words ever spoken out against the institutionalization of apathy within the Iranian community both here and back home. Clearly, this ought to prove once and for all, you don't have to be there, to speak valid truth to power, from here. What's more is, you can do it to a nice danceable beat! My only wish is that the album had the lyrics, so we could read them, understand them, and memorize them easier. I've played the album like 13 times and I'm still quite lost in most of it.

Here's my track by track breakdownapologies in advance)


Track 1 and Track 10: Ay Ay Ay (v.1) and (v.2)
This is better known as the Tarzan-o-Cheetah song we've heard a few times live now. This time mixed as a highly moody atmospheric ballad, the first version demonstrates Kiosk's least acknowledged trait, namely the incredible array of musical talent in this band. Track 10, I found works better of you listen to first and then let the CD player loop you back to the beginning. But I'm weird.

Track 2: Sirabi-e-Naft
I'm not sure I would have had the pestehs to put this Brad Paisley-esque Country Western swing second, maybe they snuck it in, to get it out of the way. This is a continuation of Sobhani's ever biting lyrics, this time pointing out what a wacky double edged sword an oil-based economy can be, in as funny a way as I have ever seen done. Ardalan Payvar adds his own comedic touches adding burps here and there, with his rock tuned wurlitzer keyboardism. That's right, I'm calling it Keyboardism! Because to hear Payvar play keyboard is a fast growing religion.

Track 3: Pragmatism-e-Eshgh
Another cynical song, this time about love, and the overall general decay of common Iranian society. I think. At once professing his love, while at the same time declaring that he's finally given up, the system wins, he is going with the flow, and "I'm no longer the person I used to be." I especially liked the crass Chris DeBurgh photo op reference. The style is what I call Soviet Vodka House blues, a good demonstration of Kiosk's research and knowledge into this form of protest or more accurately dissident-speak. I don't particularly prefer this form, I think it is too nostalgic to be useful, and to be frank I'd like to see less of it in the future guys, but I can understand their nostalgic affinity for it. Even though they're too young to be nostalgic. Yet another crime of the revolution.

Track 4: Agha Negahdar
In his own version of "Stop the world I want to get off!" Sobhani belts out a superb Rock-Blues ballad not as the wimpy Chris DeBurgh, but more along the lines of an angry Chris Rea. Sobhani rails against corruption in his call out of the various Mafias of Soccer, Oil, Music, and Sugar (staple food commodities), and pulls away the false veil of the system, claiming rightly that the reforms themselves have now been "reformed".

Track 5: Kafsh
Possibly the most mosh-pit-worthy track of the album. This song proves it is extremely fun to be angry. It actually helps anger cut to the bone. Smile before you get as angry as you know you can, Sobhani drags you out into the street by your hair, with the roughest guitar solo, a vapid thrashing for your willing pain/enjoyment.

Track 6: Livanha, Botriha, Galonha
It takes you with a drunken stumbling tango back to the vodka house complete with Payvar's waiting wailing accordion to soothe your hangover. Again, I think this style is more of buzzkill personally, but so well assembled and Payvar's obvious love of this form is so compelling, you can't help but stick around.

Track 7: Gerogangiri Dar Bagh-e-Vahsh
This song reminds me completely of Eric Clapton's Crossroads, partially with it's profession of ethereal love. It shifts to a complete different gear when during the guitar solo, it blends traditional American rock blues and introduces for possibly the first time in history, a singularly recognizable Iranian rock riff.

Track 8: Charkhesh-e-Pooch
It's back to the cafe once gain, instead of Russia and Vodka, we are taken on a back street romantic slut-strewn stroll through the sleazy alleyways of a French bistro, complete with the painfully wailing of Payvar's accordion. Perfect Absinthe music.

Track 9: Yarom Bia
Hold off on the absinthe though, because you may not need it after listening to this. Possibly the most bizarre tribute to the original Tajik classic, this one will blow your mind if you realize the long lost disco beat, all that is missing is Donna Summers' Bad Girls hook "Awwww!... toot! toot!....beep! beep!", until you sit stunned, as you recognize none other than the Master himself Mohsen Namjoo, joining in after the first refrain. I would have expected Namjoo would never go for this arrangement, but you can hear the obvious fun he is having, and then you realize, no it's perfect!

Those of you who might think that 10 tracks is too few, trust me, in this album, it's a lot!

If I had to choose what I would like Kiosk to explore more of in future albums, it would have to definitely be the Rock direction. While I understand the quaint familiarity of Russian vodka house blues in "Pragmatism-e-Eshgh" and "Livanha, Botriha, Galonha" are entirely useful and by now even a staple of what has come to be known as Kiosk-style music. I feel that the more energetic and moving pieces are in their rock direction. But I am just a 47 year old head banger, who merely wants "more please".

Plus not playing more rock is a total waste of guitarist Babak Khiavchi's obvious talents, while Sobhani stretches beyond his Knopfler-esque nasal voice on occasion, enough to prove that he can (if he wants to) actually sing once in a while. Sobhani while doing all the singing duty as per usual, is no guitar slouch himself, often and easily adding to Khiavchi's waiting begging arsenal of well schooled weaponry.

On a final note, I have to say that Ardalan Payvar firmly establishes himself as Iran's new Jon Lord on this album, and shows how well he can add an eager element that is often overshadowed when you have not one, but 2 great guitarists on board with all the tools and plenty of ammo. Oh Lord Payvar! Bestow upon us thy gifts! Let us rock with thine keyboard, leave the temptation of the coffee and vodka houses and deliver us unto your blessed psychedelic 60's organ riff fingerplay!

CONCERTS
-- November 16, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre (with special guest Babak Amini)
-- November 28, 2008 - Seattle, WA Neumos
-- November 30, 2008 - Vancouver, Canada Richards on Richards

For more visit: kiosk-music.com

[Rasputin]

کم نیستند کسانی که گروه "کیوسک" را نوک پیکان جنبش موسیقی زیرزمینی ایران می دانند؛ عنوانی که با انتشار سومین آلبوم این گروه در خارج از مرزهای ایران، بیش از گذشته جالب توجه می شود.

"باغ وحش جهانی" عنوان سومین آلبوم کیوسک است که به تازگی منتشر شده و این گروه با برپایی چندین کنسرت، معرفی آن را آغاز کرده است.

این گروه پنج نفره که اخیرا به دعوت تلویزیون فارسی بی بی سی به لندن سفر کرده بود، در روز هفتم اسفندماه در سالن بوش هال در غرب لندن به روی صحنه رفت و برای نخستین بار برای ایرانیان ساکن بریتانیا مجموعه ای از آهنگ های قدیمی و جدیدش را اجرا کرد.

کیوسک یک گروه پنج نفره است که از سال 1384 و با آلبوم "آدم معمولی" به هواداران موسیقی غیرمتعارف ایرانی معرفی شد.

خاکستر "راز شب"

کیوسک برای بسیاری از هواداران خود با متن اشعارش آغاز شد. آرش سبحانی که تا پیش از انتشار آلبوم "آدم معمولی"، به عنوان ترانه سرا و گیتاریست گروه پیشروی "راز شب" شناخته شده بود، با انتشار "آدم معمولی" روی دیگری از خلاقیت خود را به شنوندگان معرفی کرد که کمتر کسی انتظارش را داشت.

گروه "راز شب" با انتشار آلبوم "دار قالی" با مجوز وزارت فرهنگ، در راه تبدیل شدن به جدی ترین گروه راک بعد از انقلاب ایران، با تحول آرش سبحانی از حرکت باز ماند، اما در عوض گروهی بسیار موفق تر از خاکستر "راز شب" شکل گرفت: "کیوسک".

بر خلاف پیچیدگی موسیقی و اشعار گروه "راز شب"، گروه "کیوسک" با اشعار ساده و روان و موسیقی عامه فهم تری آلبوم نخست را منتشر کرد. به بیان دیگر، "کیوسک"، گروه راک آرش سبحانی، بدون دغدغه مجوز وزارت ارشاد بود.

الهام گرفتن قطعات نخستین آلبوم از آثار گروه "دایر استریتس - Dire Straits"، به همان اندازه که برای گروهی از هواداران موسیقی راک جذاب بود، در نگاه برخی نیز نقطه ضعف گروه توصیف می شد.

آرش سبحانی، سازنده تمامی قطعات کیوسک نه تنها علاقه خود را به این گروه انگلیسی مخفی نمی کند، بلکه با خونسردی شبیه به آهنگ هایش می گوید: "اگر می توانستیم با کیفیت آثار مارک نافلر در دایر استریتس، موسیقی خلق کنیم خیلی هم خوشحال کننده بود."

کیوسک موفقیت آلبوم نخست را با آلبوم دوم به نام "عشق سرعت" که در سال 1386 منتشر شد، تکرار کرد. این بار طنز تلخ آرش سبحانی در متن اشعار، بی پروا زوایای پنهانی از زندگی اجتماعی - سیاسی ایرانیان را هدف قرار داده بود و بیش از آلبوم نخست، تضادهای این زندگی، در قطعات شنیده می شد.

ساختمان باغ وحش




آرش سبحانی، آرشیتکت ساکن کالیفرنیا، ساختمان آلبوم سوم کیوسک را زیرکانه کامل کرده است.

آلبوم با قطعه "آی آی" آغاز می شود. آهنگی با موسیقی متفاوت و متنی کاملا "کیوسکی" و البته ناامید تر از همیشه. کیوسک در قطعه دوم، بدبینی تند و تیزی را با طنز همیشگی، پیش روی شنونده می گذارد. این بار موسیقی نیز در خدمت طنز شعر است و ملودی های کیبورد اردلان پایور، جملات خواننده را تکمیل می کنند.

قطعه سوم به نام "پراگماتیسم عشقی"، اولین نقطه اوج آلبوم است. ترجیع بند این است: "من دیگه اون آدم قبلی نیستم!". متن آهنگ، همان کنایه های همیشگی را با خود دارد، اما این بار کنایه هایی که حضور گروه در خارج از ایران در آن هویداست و مایه عاشقانه غیرقابل انتظاری نیز در شعر شنیده می شود.

اما مهم تر از شعر آهنگ سوم، موسیقی این اثر است که شنیدنش را لذتبخش می کند. آرش سبحانی می گوید: "نگاهی به زندگی خودمان بینداز. ما ایرانی های بیرون از کشور عین کولی ها، آوارگی غریبی را تجربه می کنیم ..."

سبحانی در این قطعه، سرخوشی و شادی وام گرفته شده از موسیقی کولی ها را به آهنگی راه می دهد که می تواند یکی از مهم ترین قطعات سرتاسر آلبوم باشد.

در این قطعه برای نخستین بار می توان تاثیر عمیق "جیپسی جز یا جز کولی ها" را بر کیوسک حس کرد. ضمن اینکه اصولا این نخستین باری است که اثری نزدیک به این سبک به زبان فارسی ساخته شده است.

کیوسک در این تجربه کم نظیر از حضور پال ملینگ بهره برده است؛ مردی که "پدرخوانده جز کولی ها" در آمریکا لقب گرفته و در دو دهه اخیر با گروههای بسیاری این سبک اروپای شرقی را به آمریکا معرفی کرده است.

قطعه چهارم با نام "آقا نگهدار!"، بیش از سه اثر قبلی، نگاه جهانی شده "کیوسک" را معرفی می کند. بدبینی کیوسک، از قلب خیابان های تهران تا دنیایی که گویی امیدی به اصلاحش نیست را تصویر می کند و راک ساده و بی پیرایه کیوسک را به قطعه پنجم پیوند می زند که کماکان منتقد وضع موجود است و از جنبش حقوق زنان، مرگ زهرا کاظمی، دادگاه کوی دانشگاه و طرح امنیت اجتماعی در آن شنیده می شود.

در آهنگ ششم، قبل از هر چیز نوای آکاردئون، بار دیگر یادآوری می کند که کیوسک با صدای تازه رو به روی ماست. این بار تصویر، عاشق خسته دلی است که فردای روز یک میگساری جانانه، آن هم در شهری که ممکن است در بازار سیاه به جای مشروب، مشتری الکل صنعتی با خود به خانه ببرد، با سردرد از خواب بیدار شده است.

انتقادهای کیوسک در قطعه هفتم به نام "گروگانگیری در باغ وخش"، تیزتر می شوند تا نوبت به تلخ ترین قطعه آلبوم برسد: "چرخش پوچ". نقطه اوجی دیگر در آلبوم با فضایی متفاوت با دیگر آهنگ ها - با آکارئون و ویلن سل - و البته، یکی از صادقانه ترین آهنگ های عاشقانه موسیقی زیرزمینی ایران در سال های اخیر.

"یارم بیا"، قطعه نهم، اثر مشترک کیوسک و محسن نامجو است که پیش از ضبط اثر، با همکاری حامد نیک پی اجرا شده بود؛ یکی از موفق ترین قطعات کیوسک که در آن گروه برای نخستین بار اثری فولکوریک را با تنظیمی امروزی، بازخوانی و اجرا کرده است.

آلبوم باغ وحش جهانی" با "آی آی 2" به پایان می رسد. این بار نیز موسیقی کولی های اروپای شرقی الهام بخش اثر است.

حالا آلبوم به پایان رسیده است. هر قدر که اشعار کیوسک منتقد و معترض و ناراضی باقی مانده اند، موسیقی تجربیات تازه ای را برای شنونده به ارمغان آورده است. کیوسک که با راک و بلوز و کانتری به قلب شنوندگانش راه یافت، حالا با نواهایی ناب و تازه از موسیقی کولی ها، به ویژه سبک منحصر به فرد "جیپسی جز"، بار دیگر برای شنوندگانش تازه است.


کیوسک زنده است

"مانند زمانی که رفته باشی پیش روانپزشک! خیلی ها می توانستند گیرهایشان را در متن اشعار بشنوند." آرش سبحانی این جملات را در توصیف علل موفقیت کیوسک می گوید. این گفته آرش درباره سومین آلبوم گروه نیز صادق است. هنوز شنیدن آنها لبخند بر لب شنونده می آورند.

و البته این لبخند همیشه از سرخوشی نیست. زمانی کیوسک آیینه جامعه ای بود که در پیچ و خم مناقشه قدرت سیاستمداران، برای "اصلاح" نظام سیاسی حاکم در تلاش بود. آلبوم "باغ وحش جهانی" اما در زمانی تهیه شده که از اصلاحات دیگر خبری نیست. یا به قول آرش سبحانی در قطعه "آقا نگهدار!"، "اصلاحات خود اصلاح شده است!"

شعارهای محمود احمدی نژاد در قدرت، طرح امنیت اجتماعی و برخورد با جوانان در خیابان، خشونت پلیس، صعود قیمت نفت، تورم اقتصاد ایران، فرار مغزها و بار دیگر برنامه هسته ای، این بار نه از درون زیرزمین های تهران، بلکه از استودیویی حرفه ای در شهر ساحلی سن فرانسیسکوی آفتابی به اشعار کیوسک راه یافته اند.

ضبط و تنظیم آثار تازه کیوسک در مقایسه با دو آلبوم قبلی کم نقص تر هستند، موضوعی که برخلاف انتظار چندان به مذاق آرش سبحانی خوش نمی آید: "دوست داشتم هنوز بخشی از آن کاستی ها در ضبط، در صدای گیتار یا حتی در نوازندگی ما در آلبوم شنیده شوند."

شاید شنونده موسیقی زیرزمینی ایران که عادت ندارد آثاری با استاندارد بالای ضبط و تنظیم موسیقی را به عنوان موسیقی مورد علاقه اش بشنود، "کاستی هایی" را که آرش از آن سخن می گوید، روح بخش بداند، اما این موسیقی نسبت به چهارسال پیش و نخستین آلبوم گروه بسیار رشد کرده است. دیگر شاید زمان آن رسیده باشد که استانداردهایی تازه به شنوندگان معرفی شوند.

عمر موسیقی زیرزمینی ایران به نزدیک دو دهه رسیده است. کیوسک یکی از نتایج مهم این جریان موسیقی است که بیش از هرچیز دل در گرو راک دارد و مدعی است نسلی تازه از سلیقه موسیقی را نمایندگی می کند.

کیوسک، نه تنها نخستین گروهی از جریان موسیقی زیرزمینی بوده که آلبومی رسمی را به بازار روانه کرده است، بلکه حالا نخستین گروهی است که موفق شده است سومین آلبوم را نیز منتشر کند؛ گروهی که می تواند برای دهها گروه دیگر که در شرایطی سخت به کارشان ادامه می دهند، الهام بخش باشد.

برای هواداران نیز مهم ترین و دلچسب ترین پیامی که آلبوم سوم این گروه دارد این است: کیوسک هنوز زنده است!

[Rasputin]

Music by Kiosk. Album: "Amor de la Velocidad". Video directed by Ahmad Kiarostami. Arash Sobhani writes: "This song was dedicated to Shahrokh Mortaz! And yes Merdad and Woli and Anoush Khazeni are on it as well!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIvcqESjR2k

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Kiosk's latest music video by Apparat Productions. Kiosk will be performing Live at Yoshi's in San Francisco Sunday, July 4, 2010. Tickets: There will be 2 shows, 8 pm and 10 pm.