Adrian Younge & Liraz - Azadi

Liraz and Adrian Younge's collaboration is more than music-it's a statement of resilience, a fight for artistic and personal freedom wrapped in the lush textures of Persian tradition and modern innovation. Recorded at Younge's all-analog Linear Labs studio in Los Angeles, the album pulses with raw energy, weaving together deep grooves, cinematic orchestration, and unfiltered emotion. Together, they crafted a sound that bridges eras, blending the spirit of pre-revolutionary Iranian music with bold, contemporary sensibilities.Sung in Farsi, Liraz's powerful vocals continue her fight for freedom for the women of Iran. Adrian Younge's raw orchestration sets the foundation for a bold journey through psychedelic Middle Eastern melodies reminiscent of Iran's rich musical landscape before the 1979 Revolution. Fuzz guitars, kamancheh (a Persian bowed string instrument), and funky bass lines collide to create a groundbreaking soundscape unlike anything ever heard before. With contributions from Iranian musicians, Azadi (Freedom) is a celebration of heritage and artistic liberation, offering a bold, genre-defying experience that transcends cultures. Their collaboration was born from a shared love of timeless sound. Liraz first encountered Younge's work through musician friends who admired his analog-driven approach. What began as a simple introduction quickly turned into something deeper-an unspoken understanding. Walking into his studio, a space filled with vintage equipment from the 1970s, felt instantly familiar. "It was like stepping back in time," she recalls. "I'm a '70s girl, and this felt like home."Younge's approach embracing imperfections, gives the album it's undeniable authenticity. "No edits, no retakes. Just truth," Liraz says. "It forced us to be vulnerable, to pour everything into each note." That vulnerability is palpable, carried in the aching melodies, the hypnotic rhythms, the defiant spirit that lingers in every lyric.Writing the album during sleepless nights, Liraz infused her family's history into the lyrics-stories of her female relatives who were forced into marriage at young ages, and of her family's eventual flight from Iran to Israel. She drew from her grandmother's muted voice, the stories of women in her family married as children, and the silenced singers of Iran. Each chapter of the album honors women fighting for autonomy and expression. "I sewed these stories into the music, about women coming out of their shells, breaking their own walls.At it's core, this album is a love letter to the voices that have been silenced. Liraz draws from personal history and collective memory, giving life to stories of strength, longing, and rebellion. Songs like Maa Zanaa and Faryad echo the resilience of women who dare to stand tall, blending Persian rhythms with psychedelic guitars and deep, pulsing bass lines. It's a sound both rooted in history and defiantly forward-looking.For Liraz, this project is more than just an artistic pursuit-it's a way to reclaim a connection that has been denied to her. "I cannot walk the streets of Iran, but through this music, I can reach across borders," she says. "This is for the women who fight, for the voices that refuse to be erased. It's a tribute to my heritage and a celebration of the freedom we create when we refuse to be silent."

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Ma Zanna - Bedoone Tars
2. Farrar Konam
3. Faryad
4. Azadi
5. Noore Man
6. Avaz Shodam
7. Navid
8. Ki Hastam - I
9. Zan Zendegi Azadi
10. Farib