Ramin Rahimi & Friends

Ramin Rahimi is a drum master, of sorts. As a professional percussionist, he's taught at the Golpa Music Institute in Tehran, Iran for the past 15 years and has dipped into the metal music world as the drummer for Iranian power metal band Angband. On Pulse of Persia, Rahimi pushes classical Persian percussion boundaries by melding raw, fierce energy with African and Latin rhythms, and traditional Persian melodies. On opener "Tornado," the percussion ensemble that Rahimi leads sound like sheets of rain pouring down. With only three instruments in use, including a drum set, tombak (hand-held goblet shaped drum) and Daf (a large, circular, hand-held drum similar to a tambourine), the sound is thick and powerful. Fusing R&B and electronic beats on "D&T," Rahimi is able to seamlessly blend in traditional Kurdish violin melodies. On "Butterfly," he mixes in Flamenco guitar and on "Technical Friendly Conversation" adds in congas and djembes, all while the Persian ensemble bang away. But Rahimi's arrangement skills are best heard on "Eastern," which is a through-and-through traditional song with a 7/8 beat accompanied by the santour and the ney, a beautifully subtle sounding Persian flute.