Salim Ghazi Saeedi

Artist Information

Biography

Salim Ghazi Saeedi was born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran. Despite the inactive rock scene in Iran, he decided to challenge his fate by becoming a rock musician.

Salim started self teaching electric guitar and music production from 1999. Meanwhile living outside contemporary rock music currents in Iran made Salim shape his music style in a unique personal way. It has been compared to surprisingly diversified bands from all over the world like Univers Zero, King Crimson, John Zorn and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. In this regard Salim has found himself composing in genres like art rock, rock in opposition, progressive metal and jazz-fusion - with tinges of oriental music according to critics. Harmonie Magazine compared his guitar playing to King Crimson's Robert Fripp.

He is the producer, composer and performer of all instruments in his instrumental music. He has coined the term "Pictorial Rock" as a description of his compositions which is also the title of his blog: "Pictorial rock" he says "is a term I use for my music that is usually based on series of mental images, a nightmare or maybe dreams of a sound sleep... As a listener, you have to wait for the pictures to materialize in your mind!"

However Salim has had little chance to expand his music career in his hometown, he has regularly kept on working. While in Arashk band he released Abrahadabra (2006), Sovereign (2007) and Ustuqus-al-Uss (2008). Afterwards he released Iconophobic (2010) and Human Encounter (2011) both as a one-man-band.

His albums are concept albums hiring elements of classical and electronic music and progressive rock with diversified use of instruments. He describes himself as "an ever improviser... both in performing and in composing." His main influences include Jeff Beck and Thelonious Monk. Salim says about his style of music: "I never decided to compose in progressive genre. I just have a very versatile taste of music listening... Maybe this is how progressive genre takes place. You let your mind free and it becomes progressive!"

Instrumentation

Salim Ghazi Saeedi - Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Synthesizer

Discography

Album (Solo Project) :
2011 - Human Encounter (Credits: composition, performing Guitar/Bass/Synthesizer, Engineering, Mix)
2010 - Iconophobic (Credits: composition, performing Guitar/Bass/Synthesizer, Engineering, Mix)

Album (with Arashk Band):
2008 - Ustuqus-al-Uss (Credits: composition, performing Guitar/Bass/Synthesizer, Engineering, Mix) except performance in two songs*
2007 - Sovereign (Credits: composition, performing Guitar/Bass/Synthesizer, Engineering, Mix) except performance in one song*
2006- Abrahadabra (Credits: composition, performing Guitar/Bass/Synthesizer, Engineering, Mix)
*Please refer to salimworld.com for further details.

Official Website

http://www.salimworld.com

Links

• Facebook
• Last.fm
• Twitter
• MySpace
• YouTube Channel
• CDBaby

Audio

• Don't You See the Cheerful Rainbow?
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• Asiyeh
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Abrahadabra Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  "...Hendrix and Santana have also obviously instructed the phenomenal axe genius that Salim Ghazi Sa..."...Hendrix and Santana have also obviously instructed the phenomenal axe genius that Salim Ghazi Saeedi truly is. Highly recommended for a hefty dose of extremely heavy yet highly melodic metal of a VERY special kind"
  
  - On the album "Abrahadabra"

• Ustuqus-al-Uss Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Without ever becoming predictable, and taking care to add in the odd dissonant or arhytmic segment,..."Without ever becoming predictable, and taking care to add in the odd dissonant or arhytmic segment, the gritty guitars and swirling violins create stunning contrasts - and quite often exotic sounding flurries adds some sice to the proceedings as well."

• Iconophobic Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  [Translation from German] "Salim is a skilled guitarist with unusual skills who knows how to play hi...[Translation from German] "Salim is a skilled guitarist with unusual skills who knows how to play his instrument impressively with interesting tone.”
  "Salim ist ein geübter Gitarrist mit einiger ausgefallener Handfertigkeit, der sein Instrument eindrucksvoll zu spielen weiß und dabei eine interessante Prägung hat. Seine Kompositionen beweisen Kenntnis orientalischer wie populärer Musik."

• Iconophobic Album Review 2
  

  Without information freely given, the visceral heart of the creator will serendipitously change you.

• Iconophobic Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  [Translated from Italian] "We can appreciate the writing skills of Salim and his great imagination t...[Translated from Italian] "We can appreciate the writing skills of Salim and his great imagination to create images and sound to merge styles that are located far apart midway between East and West."
  "... possiamo comunque apprezzare le doti di scrittura di Salim e la sua grande fantasia nel creare immagini sonore e nel fondere stili distanti che si collocano a metà strada fra oriente ed occidente."

• Iconophobic Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  [Translated from Italian] "I hope that the music of Salim will one day fly high in a professional ve...[Translated from Italian] "I hope that the music of Salim will one day fly high in a professional version, with maybe some international cooperation."
  "mi auguro che la musica di Salim possa un giorno volare alta, in una versione professionale, grazie magari a qualche collaborazione internazionale."

• Iconophobic Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  "The first thing I noticed is there is not a dull moment on the disc... I was kept surprised through..."The first thing I noticed is there is not a dull moment on the disc... I was kept surprised throughout my first listen and more intrigued and very much at attention by my third listen to Iconophobic"

• Iconophobic Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  [Translation from Dutch] "Think of the Peter Gabriel IV with all sorts of intriguing, self-generated...[Translation from Dutch] "Think of the Peter Gabriel IV with all sorts of intriguing, self-generated sounds..."
  "Denk daarbij aan de voor Peter Gabriel IV met allerhande intrigerende, zelf opgewekte klanken volgestopte Fairlight."

• Iconophobic Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  You need to tread carefully if you are entering the Iconophobic world of Salim Ghazi Saeedi. You hav...You need to tread carefully if you are entering the Iconophobic world of Salim Ghazi Saeedi. You have been warned.

• Iconophobic Album Review
  

  Shades of Frank Zappa, King Crimson and Ian Carr...

• Iconophobic Album Review
  

  A real unique progressive instrumental album.

• Iconophobic Album Review
  

  a great disc to be played to clear and challenge the mind.

Setlist

In 4 albums, I have about 40 songs with different instrumentation requirements. They can be divided to three types:

A. Standard rock instrumentation (for about 20 songs): 2 Electric Guitars / 1 Electric Bass / 1 Keyboard / 1 Standard Drum set

B. Standard rock plus classic trio (for about 10 songs): 2 Electric Guitars / 1 Electric Bass / 2 Keyboards (one performer) / 1 Standard Drum set / 1 Drum Machine / 1 Cello / 1 Violin / 1 Piano

C. Standard rock plus orchestra (for about 10 songs): 2 Electric Guitars / 1 Electric Bass / 2 Keyboards (one performer) / 1 Standard Drum set / 1 Drum Machine / 1 Piano / Classical chordophone and aerophone instruments depending on the orchestration.

Basic Requirements

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