Welcome, let us dive into the world of multitalented Parham Gharavaisi, a musician who makes sounds like he blends colors – strong, surprising and completely his own, this man mixes types of music just as a crazy scientist does in an audio workshop.
Parham is not like most people in the music industry. He doesn’t like trends or want to be well-known. He just creates music for himself, where he pours his heart and spirit into every note. He does this even if it means being alone in a world that likes to put things into boxes. He’s like a rebel with guitar, finding his own way in the music world.
This might come as a surpise, but when it comes to production, Praham producedand recorded “Mirror’s Gaze” with close to zero musical instruments, but not much equipment, making his own recording and trying to understand the puzzles of music world comes with some problems he meets.
Parham Gharavaisi’s songs are puzzles waiting to be solved. It’s a window into his thoughts, where video game sounds mix with metal shouts and everything in between.
In a recent interview with Mister Styx of Musicarenagh, Parham made lots of disclosures and we’ll talk about where he gets his ideas, how he makes music and the big hopes that come with every song.
When asked about his plans this is what he said
“Additionally, I have two upcoming metal albums scheduled for the next two years, both professionally produced by other studios for the first time. The first album, titled Ghosts of Nations, is set for release on October 14, 2024.
It’s a rather grim album that addresses sensitive subjects such as societal collapse, domestic abuse, suicide, and mass shootings, among others. I hope to approach these topics in a tasteful manner. The second album, Infect the Clouds, is a concept album featuring a villain protagonist who is a disgruntled misanthrope seeking revenge on humanity. This album is scheduled for release on October 14, 2025.”
Mirror’s Gaze’ is expected to be released on 24th January so stay closed to have an experience of this. Here is a link to the official YouTube video which will go live on release day.
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What is your stage name
Parham Gharavaisi, same as my real name.
Is there a story behind your stage name?
I had to choose my full name because it was the only option still available. Every possible combination of letters from the dictionary has already been taken fifty times over by other bands. You wouldn’t believe it, but even made-up words and misspelled words are already used as band names. So, the only reasonable option for me was to go with my own name, I guess.
Where do you find inspiration?
Mostly video games; I guess I’m a huge nerd since it’s pretty much my only hobby. Growing up, I played games on the Sega Genesis, which made me fall in love with the sound of its 8-bit music. Even now, it’s pretty much the same. In fact, some of my all-time favorite records are actually video game soundtracks. What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Well, my initial exposure to music was through video game soundtracks, which I grew up listening to. Later on, I was introduced to the metal genre, and it was an instant connection. I fell in love with the intensity, complexity, and emotional depth of metal music. This transition from the melodic and often atmospheric tunes of video games to the powerful and expressive world of metal has been a major influence in my own musical journey.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
Not really, I don’t think so.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
No one specifically inspired me; I just thought that if I’m going to make music, why not also share it on the Internet? You know, what’s the harm, right? So, I just decided to put it out there.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
You could say I’m a self-trained musician since I never really took any formal classes or lessons. I vaguely remember some piano lessons as a little kid, but I don’t remember much from them, and I don’t really play the piano now.
My instruments are the electric guitar, electric bass, and classical guitar. Vocally, I do both clean singing and metal screams. This self-training extends to recording and production as well. In fact, I feel I’ve only recently begun to scratch the surface in achieving professional-sounding audio quality on my own.
My single Mirror’s Gaze marks a significant step up in production quality. The violin is one of my favorite instruments, and I aspire to learn how to play it one day.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
Actually, I’ve never attended any concerts or other kinds of live events. Social gatherings don’t interest me at all, and I tend to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.
How could you describe your music?
I believe diverse is the best word to describe my music, as it spans across many different genres and subgenres. This can be both a blessing and a curse, though in my case, it’s been more of the latter. It’s kind of too heavy for the pop crowd, yet too soft for the metalheads, if you see what I mean. In any case, this is the sound I like the most, so I’m going to stick with it, hoping to find my niche.
Describe your creative process.
Here’s my process for creating new songs: First, I start by composing riffs and/or chord progressions on the classical guitar, as it’s more convenient for me. Once I’m happy with the results, I transpose them into whatever key sounds or plays best on the electric guitar. After finalizing the song structure, I begin the recording process, starting with the electric guitar, followed by the electric bass. Once the guitars are recorded, I add in the drums. Next, I write the lyrics and vocal melodies simultaneously and then record the vocals. The final step involves adding synth elements and atmosphere to the song.
What is your main inspiration?
I wholeheartedly adore the sound of old-school melodic death metal as well as gothic/doom records. To me, metal is all about authenticity and catharsis; it’s about releasing a sound that truly embodies who you are, without any compromise or doubt. Ever since I was introduced to the metal genre as a young child, I’ve been deeply fascinated by both its aesthetics and philosophy. I knew from early on that this was the path I wanted to pursue in my own music-making. In a sense, I aspire to stand on the shoulders of the giants who have shaped this genre. With that being said, I do hope that I may contribute something new of my own as well.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Oh, choosing between Olivier Deriviere and Akira Yamaoka would be incredibly difficult! I absolutely adore every piece of music they’ve composed, so much so that picking a favorite seems impossible. While they primarily compose music for video games, and as I’ve mentioned, I’m a huge nerd, I’d rather talk about my favorite work from each composer.
Starting with Akira Yamaoka, there’s something magical about his song ‘Cradle of the Forest’ from the Silent Hill 4 soundtrack that’s hard to articulate. It has the most haunting atmosphere I’ve ever encountered in music, hands down. Everything about it perfectly harmonizes with the game’s themes. When you listen to this song, you can visualize the game; it’s beyond impressive.
The same can be said about Olivier Deriviere’s ‘An End for a Prelude’ from the Alone in the Dark (2008) soundtrack. The Bulgarian choir vocals are spine-tingling, and the orchestral background is simply out of this world.
However, if I had to choose my all-time favorite soundtrack, it would be Hideyuki Fukasawa’s work on the Chaos Legion Soundtrack.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Absolutely! My debut was an instrumental post-rock album, featuring no drums or vocals. The albums that followed were a mix of rock and metal. It wasn’t until my 5th full-length album that I fully transitioned into metal. As for the subgenres, that’s a long story for another day.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
I’m not particularly well-versed in the music industry or other artists, so I can’t say for sure. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say it would likely be another artist who experiments with blending various genres and subgenres together.
What are your interests outside of music?
Video games are undoubtedly my biggest, if not my only, hobby. These days, I’m mostly into competitive first-person shooters, and I take my ranking on the leaderboards very seriously, always striving to compete against the best. Mobile games have significantly evolved, so I spend a lot of my gaming time on mobile shooters, though I was primarily a PC gamer in the past. For instance, I’ve been playing Counter-Strike 1.6 since its early days. However, when it comes to story-driven games, I’m a huge fan of Action RPGs, particularly the soulslike genre, as I love overcoming meaningful challenges.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
My alternative interest would be either video game development, which I have some experience in, or writing. Speaking of which, I recently authored my first anthology book. It’s a collection of my older short stories, poems, and previously unreleased lyrics. You can find it on Google Books.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
Right, I can actually think of a couple of examples off the top of my head! As you might know, I operate from what you could technically call a home studio, but in reality, it’s quite basic. My only physical instruments are an electric bass and an electric guitar, which I used to plug directly into my PC’s motherboard line-in jack with an adapter. It’s only recently that I’ve acquired an audio interface to use with my new microphone. Frankly, I was quite surprised to realize that it didn’t make much of a difference, if any, in terms of instrument signal quality. However, I needed it to connect my dynamic mic, so there’s that. The point is, I have practically no physical gear, and everything you hear is the result of computer software magic. The fact that it’s now possible to make this kind of music without going to an actual studio filled with tons of colossal gear is a testament to how far technology has advanced. Impressive, isn’t it? One can only imagine where technology might go in the future. Honestly, it’s kind of frightening, I guess. The fear of the unknown and all, but I digress.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
I’m not sure, maybe add more kittens to the music industry or something, because I love animals. Like I said, I’m not deeply involved with the music industry, nor do I know much about it. So, it’s really hard for me to say what I’d change when I’m not fully aware of all the ins and outs. You see what I mean?
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
I’ve always been fascinated by mirror metaphors in literature, so it felt natural to incorporate what I like into my work. The primary reason I chose Mirror’s Gaze as the title for this single was because I couldn’t find any other artist using this exact title, at least not from what I could find on search engines.
What are your plans for the coming months?
My ongoing plan is to release a new song every first Friday of each month. Additionally, I have two upcoming metal albums scheduled for the next two years, both professionally produced by other studios for the first time. The first album, titled Ghosts of Nations, is set for release on October 14, 2024.
It’s a rather grim album that addresses sensitive subjects such as societal collapse, domestic abuse, suicide, and mass shootings, among others. I hope to approach these topics in a tasteful manner. The second album, Infect the Clouds, is a concept album featuring a villain protagonist who is a disgruntled misanthrope seeking revenge on humanity. This album is scheduled for release on October 14, 2025. The tracklisting and lyrics for both albums are available online now.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans”
I don’t have any specific collaboration plans of my own, unless it involves working with my friends and associates. However, I am open to receiving collaboration offers and will consider each proposal on a case-by-case basis.
What message would you like to give to your fans?
Be kind to animals. Peace!- What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Well, my initial exposure to music was through video game soundtracks, which I grew up listening to. Later on, I was introduced to the metal genre, and it was an instant connection. I fell in love with the intensity, complexity, and emotional depth of metal music. This transition from the melodic and often atmospheric tunes of video games to the powerful and expressive world of metal has been a major influence in my own musical journey.- Are you from a musical or artistic family?
