Niyaz calls their music a “21^st Century global trance tradition” and others have called them a “fusion of eastern and western musical styles”. Neither description really does this CD justice. Nine Heavens is a seamless blend of medieval Persian mystical and South Asian poetry and western rhythms and electronics. Azam Ali’s vocals are simply captivating, superbly complimented by the arrangements of Carmen Rizzo and Loga Ramin Torkian. Guest musicians include none other than Tony Levin of King Crimson. Traditional Middle Eastern instruments are finely balanced with electronics in a way that I would have deemed possible until listening to Nine Heavens. As a longtime fan of Medieval music, I have always been skeptical of attempts to merge Medieval poetry and melodies with modern instrumentation. There are some bands who manage to do this quite well, and whom I enjoy immensely, but generally speaking, they sound like…well…attempts to merge medieval music and the modern electronics. I will gravitate towards the more traditional sounding songs, and bear with the “dance” material.

But Niyaz have succeeded admirably in capturing the essence of ancient Sufi and Persian songs, while adding electronics and modern rhythms without diluting the effect in any way. Azam Ali’s haunting vocals weave amid the hypnotic percussion and electronic arrangements with traditional instruments, transporting the listener through the centuries and back again. As an added bonus, for those who prefer the music without electronics, a second “acoustic” CD is provided. I never thought I would say this, but I like the electronic versions as much as the acoustic ones. The acoustic CD does not have the same track order, which makes it seem almost like another album.

The CD begins with the irresistible “Beni Beni”, an 18^th century Turkish Sufi poem with strong percussion and lutes that is one of my favorite tracks. ‘Tamana” is an 18^th century Urdu poem that opens slowly, then glides into a raga bridged by atmospheric electronics. “Feraghi- Song of Exile” is an evocative lament that conjures epic spaces of both terra firma and the soul. “Ishq: Love and the Veil”, an 18^th century Urdu poem by Khwaja Mir Dard is eminently danceable, with a complex mixture of driving percussion, trance, and traditional instruments melded with Azam’s vocals. The very Middle Eastern sounding “Allah Mazare” is a traditional folk song from Khorassan with rich layers of vocals and instruments. “Iman” a lullaby written by Azam and Loga for their son, evokes a sense of longing and reflection, with sort of a New Age minimalism.

“Molk-E-Divan”, a song by 13^th century Persian mystic Amir Khosrau Dehlavi, has hypnotic rhythms and urgent vocals with traditional string instruments.  “Hejran”, a wonderful instrumental, is a veritable tapestry of percussion and strings.  “Sandrang” another poem by Amir Khosrau, finishes up the CD with Azam’s mesmerizing vocals backed by effective electronic drones, deep percussion, and strings.

“Nine Heavens” is truly a wonderful CD that will appeal to fans of World Music, Trance, Medieval music, and more.

http://www.niyazmusic.com/