Iranian pop classics from Tehrangeles set to return on new Discotchari compilation

Los Angeles label Discotchari is set to release ‘Tehrangeles Vice (Iranian Diaspora Pop 1983–1993)’ on October 17, a 12-track compilation that showcases music from the Tehrangeles pop scene spanning the years 1983 to 1993.

Tehrangeles, a portmanteau of Tehran and Los Angeles, became the centre of an Iranian diaspora music industry shaped by artists who left Iran after the 1979 revolution. The record will be available on vinyl and digital formats with license from Taraneh Enterprises. The collection features 12 remastered tracks, alongside original cassette artwork, full lyric translations and a 20-plus page booklet written by scholar Dr. Farzaneh Hemmasi.

Included on the compilation are tracks by Leila Forouhar, Susan Roshan, Fataneh, Ebi, Shahrokh, Shahram Shabpareh, Shohreh Solati, Farzin, Aldoush, Sattar, Delaram, Black Cats and Hassan Shojaee.

In a release note, executive producer Zachary Asdourian said: “Sprawling from Westwood to Glendale across the San Fernando Valley, this scene was cultivated by the same producers and artists who industrialized the ‘golden age’ of entertainment in pre-revolution Iran and fled from the 1979 Islamic Revolution along with millions of Iranian citizens.” He added: “By remastering and pressing these selected songs onto vinyl, most of them for the first time, we give longevity to Tehrangeles’ music legacy by highlighting its innovations and contributions to the scope of Iranian popular music and realize a new mise-en-scène to better understand the artistic achievements of this community.”

Much of the scene’s output circulated through cassette tapes. Although the Islamic Republic of Iran officially banned what it called “degenerate” Tehrangeles music, the recordings were widely consumed and continued to enter the country via bootleg cassette and VHS tapes. Today, most of those original cassettes “have been physically disposed of by all sides,” a reality that underlines the archival importance of this compilation, according to Zachary Asdourian.

Pre-order the album here and listen to four tracks now available below.