Persian Empire About//Blank

ABOUT//BLANK is a collage of collages, an EP pasted together from tracks that are built of parts of various tracks, recordings, sketches, hooks, grooves and loops that Persian Empire has been working on in the past few years. It's a warm piece of fragmented soul music and a project that's far more vocal than any of Sam Khatam's previous productions.
The vocals, though, float in a cloud of haze. Recorded lo-fi, on the fly, impro style. They're intentionally imprecise, leaving blank spots and holes for listeners to fill in. Thus the play of these ambiguous lyrical fragments becomes not just open to but in fact invokes obligatory interpretation. It's the listener who with active interventions solves the mumbles and connects the gaps.
The EP draws from classic funk samples and hiphop production techniques and nods to the end of 90s cut 'n' paste of vanguard styles Mo' Wax, Warp and Chocolate Industries championed so well. With all this retro, throwback swing Persian Empire delivers soft soul that doesn't fit anywhere but in the present.
Persian Empire has been immensely influenced by UK dance styles, from 2step to bass yet his music usually can't happen without the usual intruders - from jazz to experimental electronics and hiphop. With special attention to rhythmical details Sam's put out music for labels likeCosmonostro and Record Record and since 2015 he runs his own Prrrrrrr Records, with a focus on young promising blood.
His live acts are not to be missed.