VA - Sedayeh Del / SEDAYEH DEL Funk, Psychedelia And Pop From The Iranian Pre-Revolution Generation

Pharaway’s excellent series of Iranian psych-funk and pop returns with a brimming third volume spanning unimaginably exotic party sounds from the Persian ’70s. The lead cut, Zia’s ‘Helelyos’ may well be recognised by any Finders Keepers freaks – it was versioned by RD Burman as ‘Heleh Maali’ – but we’d daresay this original is way better – check that nutty bit of scat on the intro – while Farrokhzad delivers the fruity pomp of ‘Avazekhan Na Avaz’, and the legendary composer and “ladies man” Shamaizadeh gives two highlights with the glamorous strings, rolling percussion and lush accordion of ‘Agar Bekhai Mitooni’ and the latin slink of ‘Be Man Tekyah’. There are total zingers to be scored in Nooshafarin’s creamy disco ace ‘Gole Aftabgardoon’, and the Dabke-like Kurdish mixture of reedy synthlines and swinging grooves to Beti’s enchanting ‘Hele Dan Dan’, and the breaks-hunters should be all over Satar’s rolling groover ‘Sedayeh Del’ which give this comp its title, and the final cut, Maziar’s symphonic strings and synth-lead ace ‘Mahigir’ is a big ballad for the disco romantics.