Zelzeleh (Faraway Ghost & Sunken Cages) /// Ishtar Sr.

Name: Zelzeleh (Faraway Ghost & Sunken Cages) /// Ishtar Sr.
Start: 2025-04-18T20:00:00-04:00
Location: The Rotunda

Schedule

Fri, 18 Apr, 2025 at 08:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

The Rotunda | Philadelphia, PA

Bowerbird and Fire Museum present the duo of Iranian vocalist Kamyar Arsani (Faraway Ghost) and Indian-born percussionist/producer Ravish Momin (Sunken Cages) with an opening set by Savan DePaul aka Ishtar Sr. Their collaboration combines Persian poetry with Mumbai street rhythms, layered over intricate electronic soundscapes. Arsani’s mastery of Persian classical modes (dastgahs) and his evocative vocals merge seamlessly with Momin’s polyrhythmic live-looping and electronic drumming. Together, they create a unique sound described as “Digital Sufi Music.”
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ravish Momin (Sunken Cages)
Ravish Momin is a drummer and electronic music producer whose work draws on Indian and Black music traditions as well as global underground dance music. He has performed internationally for over two decades, including appearances at the Kennedy Center, Big Ears Festival, and Le Guess Who? Festival. As Sunken Cages, Momin integrates live-looping and electronic drums into his performances. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists and is signed to Akuphone Records (France).
Kamyar Arsani (Faraway Ghost)
Kamyar Arsani is an Iranian multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter based in Washington, D.C. A performer and teacher of the daf, Arsani’s music bridges classical Persian traditions with experimental electronic sounds. He has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress and is the lyricist and singer for the punk band Shadow Riot. Arsani’s work explores a diverse range of musical styles while remaining deeply rooted in Persian musical heritage.
Savan DePaul
Savan DePaul (they/them, she/her, dey/dem), who also goes by the future pop moniker Ishtar Sr., is a singer, rapper, producer, engineer, and visual artist living in West Philadelphia. DePaul’s music encompasses many styles, from abstract hip hop polemics to futuristic R&B experiences to dance pop anthems. The Ishtar Sr. project specifically consists of an Afrofuturistic blend of glitch pop and club/rave-centric R&B nestling various odes to Blackness, sexual autonomy, and queer revenge/retaliation. Ishtar released the “HOLYHOUSE b/w/ Fourth Planet Funk” single with Astro Nautico in 2020 and two projects with Grimalkin Records (the 2021 debut album Divine Ecdysis and the 2022 mixtape Ecdysis Incomplete) in addition to some self-released singles and EPs. She is currently working on her second and third studio albums.