Nasiri in 5 Questions

Interview with Nasiri, May 2022

Our amazing Butterflies in Babylon festival will mark the debut of Barcelona-based artist Nasiri on the lineup for The Gardens of Babylon. Welcoming him with open arms, we can’t wait to see what the music producer and multi-instrumentalist with Persian roots has in store for us. Combining electronic music with classic instruments such as the flute, oud, and clarinet, he has developed his very own sound. We’re sure that you are curious to find out more about this unique artist. So here you go, here is Nasiri in 5 questions!

Question #1

We’ve read that you describe music as a journey through the spiritual and material, reflecting the mysticism and the meaning of our existence. So here is a deep question to kick off this interview; what is the purpose of life?

Wow! For me, the purpose of life is definitely to share and inspire.

We are all gifted the greatest blessing, which is life. When we are able to be truly grateful and thankful we also feel the importance of returning the favor, which leads us to the point where we use our great gift –our life– to add, create, and contribute to this world.

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The purpose of life is this chain of balance. For me it’s about teaching and inspiring the language of music, to connect cultures and to understand the voice of our soul. But there are so many different ways we can contribute.

Usually it works best when we have a positive aspect and try to inspire when we want to make a change, instead of fighting and using hate. It’s just so much more effective!

Sometimes even the smallest moments in life can suddenly make the biggest changes for our surroundings and future.

Question #2

Can you tell us which DJs or music artists are your inspiration?

I’m a big sucker for world, Oriental folk, and Sufi music, so there are some musicians that have inspired me a lot. For example, Persian musicians Kayhan Kalhor and Hossein Alizadeh, Turkish musicians like Selim Sesler and Hüsnü Senlendirici, and Greek Epirus music.

However, if someone told me I had to choose, I would definitely go for the artists at the very start of my musical journey, which was inspired by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Michael Jackson!

Question #3

Share a fun fact about yourself that not many people know about?

Well, my first name is Arsalan, Nasiri is my family name. I’m from Iran and I LOVE gardening!
Plants, flowers, trees! Anything that grows, I am obsessed with.

Question #4

You must be collecting a lot of unique and unsusal experiences through traveling and playing around the world right?

Yes! One time I was really able to use music as a weapon against political injustices.

Some years ago when I lived in Stockholm, I was awarded a scholarship for cultural exchanges from the Swedish Art Grants Committee, to invite a good friend and musician from the Kurdish parts of Turkey to Sweden. We made a tour and had workshops teaching Oriental and Swedish folk music.

But the reason I did this was mostly because my friend didn’t have a passport and therefor was never able to travel before. For many people around the world, it’s not easy to get a passport, a visa, and access to travel because of political differences between some countries.

With this governmental invitation, my friend could get a passport and entry to a Schengen country. After one visit and return, he could then get a visa to EU countries without any problems. So, he is now currently touring and spreading his music and inspiration abroad!

Question #5

Besides producing and performing, what other side projects are you working on?

I have been a music teacher for many years and I love to teach! When I’m not on tour, I provide private music classes online and also in person (Barcelona).

Many of my students are very interesting. Some are good music producers who want to learn musical theory, scales, instruments, and more organic techniques. Others are very good musicians who want to learn about music production and Ableton, or how to set up their personal live-set and general musician touring tips and tricks.

Some students take instrument classes, like oud, clarinet, flute, piano, guitar, etc. And some are complete beginners who want to learn about the spiritual aspect of music as a language and how to express themselves through it. People who are interested in “Nasiri Music Classes” can contact me on Instagram!