HJirok is the exciting new project of producer Andi Toma, also known as one half of electronic music pioneers Mouse on Mars, and Iranian-born Kurdish singer and artist Hani Mojtahedy. Comes March 8th, the fruits of their collaboration will be released in the shape of an album called Hjirok, through Altin Village & Mine. Described as a mythical figure, HJirok was devised by Mojtahedy as a fictional character. Their upcoming record combines field recordings collected in their travels to Iraqi Kurdistan and other places, with recordings of Sufi drum rhythms and setar melodies, as well as her unconventional vocal techniques and polyglot lyrics upholding her memories. “The project is rooted in the figures of the Sufi dervishes and thus a culture that precedes today’s political, social, cultural, and religious systems,” Mohtahedy explained. “The Sufi sound travelled around the entire world. I like to think of it as a dialogue between peoples – one based on the rhythms of the drums and the sound of their voices.”

Mojtahedy, who stands out as a staunch advocate for the rights of the Kurdish people and women under oppression, cites Kurdish writer Ebdulla Peşêw as an inspiration. “At their core, these are about that day on which violence and fear become a thing of the past; what they tell you is to not give up, to keep hoping.”

HJirok have shared ‘Jin Bo Chie’, serving as the first entrancing and gripping single from the album. Take a listen below.