Impressed is proud to present, in partnership with Music in Exile, Ashkan Shafiei, who announces his forthcoming EP Hunter, set for release on Friday 30 May.
Ashkan Shafiei’s forthcoming EP Hunter was recorded as part of the Artist Accelerator Program byMusic in Exile — an initiative supporting immigrant artists with non-English language backgrounds to launch and grow their careers in Australia. For Ashkan, the program provided a powerful opportunity to redefine his musical identity within the Australian landscape. The five-track EP features four original tracks arranged for his band, alongside a heartfelt solo cover of “Chi Begam” by the legendary Marzieh. The recording process was a special one as it was his first experience recording everything live as a full ensemble — a departure from the usual studio procedure. The result is a deeply personal and sonically rich body of work that captures the raw spirit of Iranian funk through a uniquely Australian lens.
Ashkan on his forthcoming EP: “Writing and recording this release has been a great experience not just because of the reasons above, but also because in this EP I learnt that as an artist I must create music that I would enjoy the most rather than making music that I assume for some reason my listeners would enjoy. I learnt that being honest and real in your art is the most important thing.”
"I also feel like this EP represents my own story. I grew up listening to Iranian pop and classical music of pre-revolution Iran. Then I got heavily interested in jazz, funk, rock and their subgenres. Then I immigrated to Australia and jammed with local musicians and I feel like you could hear all that in my music and in this EP.”
Ashkan is deeply influenced by the golden era of Iranian contemporary music from the 1960s and ’70s — a time when Persian classical traditions met the sounds of Western pop and rock. Growing up in post-revolution Iran, he discovered this rich musical heritage through forbidden cassette tapes shared among family, igniting a lifelong passion shaped by both resistance and reverence. Now based in Australia, Ashkan carries the legacy of those silenced or displaced artists, using his music to honour their stories and introduce new audiences to the beauty and depth of this often-overlooked era.
Immerse yourself in the rich blend of Iranian folk and jazz and experience the spiritual journey of Ashkan’s "Hunter".
Pressed in Naarm by Program Records for Impressed and Music in Exile and includes a specially-designed obi strip.