The Project
Māh Ze Tār is propelled by the vision of fusing traditional eastern music with modern electronic composition as a form of cultural preservation. Each Māh Ze Tār set is uniquely dynamic- The listener can expect to hear the ancient sounds of the Sitar and Oud in one song and the timeless melodies of the Ney and Duduk in the next- bringing a kaleidoscope of emotions through the wide plethora of ancient sounds, mesmerizing vocals, and grooving beats. Māh Ze Tār seeks to make familiar that which seems “other” through serving the sounds of distant lands on a platter of familiar body moving bass lines and thumping grooves. His music has been released on many notable labels such as Odyzey, Gravitas, Muti & Medicine to name a few. Māh Ze Tār was an active performing member of Balkan Bump for 3 years between 2021-2024 and has had significant musical collaborations with many artists such as Desert Dwellers, Liquid Bloom, Vincent Antone, David Starfire, Soohan, Jef Stott, Morillo, Akriza, Nyrus, Bloomurian and many others. Notable performances- Red Rocks, Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, Unison, Gem & Jam, Joshua Tree, Lucidity, Symbiosis, Oregon Eclipse, Texas Eclipse, Burning Man, Oregon Country Fair, Haurkaze Tokyo Festival, Telluride Mushroom Festival & Hexenfest.
Maz Karandish is a Devotee of music- A well traveled vocalist & multi-instrumentalist covering grounds from Rāga, Maqām, and Dastgāh to Harmony, Jazz, and Opera. Maz feels deeply connected to these musical traditions of the east that he began learning from a very young age. As an Ethnomusicologist and a practicing Psychologist, he’s come to recognize that people in his generation have an easier time engaging with traditional music when it’s integrated with familiar rhythmic and sonic environments- thus forming his vision of preserving cultural music through fusion-oriented avenues. Maz devotes his musical time to exploring the possible weaving of Indian, Persian, Greek and Turkish music with modern soundscapes. He’s currently most interested in the integration of Indian Dhrupad and Persian Tahrir singing with electronic composition.
The first project, “Liquid Lotus”, was an illumination of the possible ways in which a musical fusion inspired by Indian Raga music could be presented in a novel way that creates a deeper connection with non-traditional listeners. The second project, “Reeshe” (Roots), further expanded on this notion and went on to reimagine antiquated yet nostalgic Persian melodies in fusion with tasteful electronic additions, creating a bridge for the non-traditional listener.
Upon the release of this 25 track double album spanning nearly 3 years of production, Maz decided to step towards collaborating with other artists and serve as a musical bridge builder. The next wave of music that Maz has been breathing life into since 2020 is a series of EP’s and Albums within the Global Bass genre such as “Where you are, Now”, “The Zikr Project”, “Transcendence, “Pure Land”, and “Metropolis” along with a host of other singles such as “Koukla Mou”. This third wave of releases has been a series of collaborations with leading Global Bass Producers such as Balkan Bump, Jef Stott, Nahlith, Akriza, Nyrus and Soohan. This wave of music brings together delicate traditional eastern sounds with cutting edge and bold sound design.
This third wave of Global Bass releases will be host to a series of exciting and notable collaborations that will be coming out over the next year. This seminal body of work has built many bridges and connected many non-traditional listeners to the potent depth of these mystical eastern traditions. For all mystics- there is a time to turn out and a time to turn in- As of now, Maz has decided to move inwards and is currently working on his third solo album which will reveal a new side of the Māh Ze Tār project marked by the most diverse and colorful pieces of his sonic expression to date. This novel compilation titled “Ephemeral Whispers” will be coming to a stream near you this coming spring. We need this lineage bearing music more than ever as we are entering into an era marked by Artificial Algorithms and Thermoplastic Intelligence. Your support of this journey is so deeply valued and appreciated- Follow the Māh Ze Tār journey on Instagram @Mahzetar