In the wake of Jina (Mahsa) Amini’s murder at the hands of the Islamic Republic’s morality police on 16 September 2022, SHOES 05 collects sounds from across the subsequent uprising in Iran. With special guest Sanaz Zardosht, we trace rhythms of resistance within early Persian music up to today’s throat-cutting cries for “women, life, freedom”. Protesting feet intermingle with the pre-revolutionary songs our mothers sang. We gather recordings from arrested artists whose contraband songs have become anthems for the uprising. With them, we mourn for the hundreds who have lost their lives, been arrested and tortured in recent months. We listen beyond the nostalgia of pre-revolutionary Iran as it sets the foundation for this fearless generation. Following in the footsteps of their own conviction, we hear a fierce song of transformation in the hope for a future beyond state-controlled violence and oppression.
