Since 2011, there’s a band shaking things up in Tehran’s vibrant underground music scene. Haag, a group that began channeling Pink Floyd and soon made their own special instrumental rock niche.
After making waves with their debut album *Buoyancy*, they’re back with something that’s been brewing for seven long years: *Haag the Huge*. The EP’s name is taken from a Persian word meaning ‘spore’ – an appropriate name for a band with a penchant for explosive creative growth. Trust me, growth is what you are going to hear in every note of this record.
We sat down with Amirhossein Rezaei, the mastermind behind Haag to find out exactly what went into their latest work. Whether it’s pushing the limits of recording techniques or interweaving complex philosophical ideas into pure sound, Haag is showing you don’t need lyrics to tell an important story.
If you’re ready to learn how an instrumental rock band from Iran is challenging the status quo? Amirhossein has some stories to tell, and let’s dive into *Haag the Huge* – it’s been quite a journey getting here.
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“Haag, welcome! For those unfamiliar with your work, could you give us a brief introduction to your sound and artistic journey?
We are a band formed in Tehran. In 2011 autumn, we started by performing Pink Floyd’s top songs on the stage of Farabi Hall at the Tehran University of Art. Then we decided to record our own music in a studio and it was how our debut album Buoyancy was born. The first idea we had was resurrecting the original style and sound of rock which had faded out in the first and second decades of the 21st century.
We collaborated with different artists and musicians and experienced a lot, from the studio stage to the live performances. Sub-genres are not accurate in describing what we do, but as they say usually some of our works can be placed under the title of progressive rock, some under post-rock and some under alternative rock.
Your new EP is titled “Haag the Huge.” That’s quite a bold title! What’s the story behind it? What feeling or message are you trying to convey with it?
In Persian (Farsi) Haag means “spore”, and according to this, Haag the Huge refers to a huge spore; when a spore grows, it explodes somehow and turns into a big mushroom or something like that, since, we have worked on this project about seven years, it was like when a tiny spore waits until it can explode and turn into something huge. It might sound a bit expressive, but only such an expressive title can express what we did.
“Haag the Huge” feels like a statement. What inspired the creation of this particular EP? What was the creative spark that ignited it?
The lack of “Haag the Huge” made us create it. We dare say we have played and recorded what never was recorded before. Yes, it’s some statement against the common perception of instrumental rock that says it must be boring or says rock music needs great lyrics to be ear-catching. We have been musicians for years and as you know, musicians need something impressive to play, there are a lot of great pieces of music out there, but there were not our ideas in them; something was missing, and we created the missing piece of music.
How does “Haag the Huge” differ from your previous work? What kind of evolution do you think it shows in your artistry?
Each album has its own atmosphere and feelings from an overall point of view, so, we’d rather compare them from the technical and practical aspects. Haag the Huge in comparison with Buoyancy, was a far better-sounding album in terms of recording, mixing and mastering quality. We have tried some outstanding techniques in recording and mixing to reach something unheard. Guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers and organs all were grown in terms of the lines of the music and also from the aspects of sounding quality and richness. We improved ourselves and our skills practically and were going to deliver something that deserves such a bold title. But as I mentioned, Buoyancy has its own feelings that cannot be achieved easily.
Can you talk about your writing process for this EP? Do you typically start with a melody, a lyric, or something else entirely?
Obviously, there are no lyrics. Some interesting theme pops to my mind – even a theme on the drum kit – and often it takes a long time to grow and become a short piece of music. Once the idea is completed we gather together and make it a longer piece. Sometimes the guitarist or the organ player suggests a melody according to the main theme, sometimes I myself write the whole lines even the organs and guitars. It varies from track to track.
Are there any specific tracks on the EP that you’re particularly excited for listeners to hear? If so, why?
Of course not! We prefer the whole album to be listened to carefully. We had a single release called Glows in Blue before the complete EP release, but it doesn’t mean we want people to listen to Glows in Blue more than the others. An album as you mentioned is like a statement, so you cannot listen to a specific track and leave the others, just as you cannot read only one paragraph of a full article.
Are there any lyrical themes or recurring messages that you explore throughout “Haag the Huge”?
It’s only music composed with musical language. There is no message or poetic concept in it; as Hans Christian Andersen says: “where words fail, music speaks.”
What was the most challenging aspect of creating this EP, and how did you overcome it?
Making happen the sounds we had in mind. Sometimes you play your melody on an instrument and it offers you the sound and you accept it. But some other times, you have a special sound in mind and you need to offer it to the instruments; it’s just the challenge, you cannot talk to them and ask them to sound as you wish. You need to try different instruments, effects and equipment until you can hear with your ear what you had abstractly in mind.
What do you hope listeners take away from “Haag the Huge”? What kind of impact do you hope it has?
As I mentioned, there is no message, and there is no impact to be described with words. When we release the music it is not up to us any longer, it’s up to the listeners and how they listen to the music. Listening is not just a mechanical action, the quality of listening depends on all previous songs one has listened to, and all their experience in a lifetime. It’s some kind of dialogism; I create my text and leave it to the audience. The only impact I hope it has is giving the listeners a new vision of instrumental rock music.
What’s next for Haag? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you can tell us about?
Yes, we have previously collaborated on a feature film project called The Tortoise and the Snail which is going to be screened soon. I have composed the score and also a single track for the ending credits which will be released as a new single by Haag.
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience about “Haag the Huge” or your journey as an artist?
I just like to say our business is some kind of devotion. We are hidden behind our music because it’s not just a personal feeling, and we’re not trying to attract people’s attention to our real personalities. We always have tried to convert personal issues into impersonal issues.
We work on instrumentals so people all around the world can make the connection and gain something musical. It’s obviously not easy to do so in a world full of “Attractions”. It takes time, takes life, takes energy and money; moreover, some freedom without boundaries is needed to achieve what we’re looking for.
Answers by: Amirhossein Rezaei
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