Saturday Night Free Lab Radio - Sheitan's Trap Mix

Sat 22nd Feb 11-midnight on Resonance104.4FM

A very special guest appearance by Iranian-German provocateur producer/ DJ Maral Samassi. Tonight we sample "Sheitan's Trap Mix" with its traces of Diplo, Major Lazer, M.I.A and Santigold rolled into one massive hour of trap. 

The Cologne-based, Iranian-German Samassi has been making music since 1994 releasing a slew of vinyl and starting up Formic Distribution in 1996. Aside from producing and DJing she also is a writer and singer on her own tracks, and has performed all over the world, and

Samassi states her influences as ranging from old Bollywood, Persian, Latin American and Maghrebian music from the 40s - 80s to early Detroit electro and techno, Chicago House, Miami Bass, Hip Hop and especially Ethiopian Jazz.

Born 1975 in Teheran, where Sheitan (The Great Satan (Persian شيطان بزرگ Shaytân-e Bozorg) is the name given to the government of the USA and sometimes the UK, both by the Iranian government (issued in public statement)s and the people alike (appearing in street graffiti). Samassi grew up first in Iran and then Jordan, until with the fall of the Shah's regime in 1979, the family was forced to return to Iran and after seven years fled the Iran/ Iraq war to then settle in Germany in 1986.
Samassi is founder of the techno label Konsequent Records in 1997 which featured artists like Jay Denham, Cari Lekebush, The Advent or Claude Young and new media label Art of Perception in ‘99, an exclusive limited Soundtrack series in co-operation with Games Workshop UK for the game Warhammer 40.000 by artists like Alter Ego, Jimmy Tenor, Dr. Shingo, Zombie Nation or Andrew Weatherall. Maral’s now works on the diverse label Television Rocks.

Born to Maral Salmassi and partner Fabian Stall, Television Rocks, is a platform for both artists such as AcidKids, The Sneekers and Tenderlions. Maral describes her sound as “funky, playful glamour tech which is more a combination of electro, disco and old school hip hop than German Post-Minimal sounds and styles”.

A satirized painting of the Statue of Liberty now on the wall of the former U.S. Embassy, in Tehran, Iran

Selected discography Maral Salmassi

CDs
- Maral Salmassi presents Nu Forms of Techno 2CD (Zoomshot)
- Diabolus in Musiker / Compiled and mixed by Maral Salmassi CD (Konsequent)
- The Kanzleramt Years / Compiled and mixed by Maral Salmassi CD (Kanzleramt)
- Maral Salmassi presents „It’s not just about skiing...“ CD (Forte)

12” Releases:
- Maral Salmassi feat. Ascii Disko– Banana Man 12” (Television Records)
- Maral Salmassi – Get on Top 12” (Television Records) Produced with Break 3000
- Maral Salmassi – Robot Queen 12” (Television Records) Produced with Zombie Nation
- Maral Salmassi – Schaffellomania / Hotze – Pussy Galore Soundtrack – 12” (radio play music)
- Golden Days – Keep it Dry 12” (Television Rec.)
- Maral Salmassi – Love 12” (Art of Perception)
- Golden Days- We deliver your Demand 12” (Television Rec.)
- Jonjon & G. Digger Feat. Maral Salmassi – All the Girls (Criminal Rec.)
- Maral Salmassi - Victims Of The Super-Ape (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi - Break Dance (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi - Natural Fun (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi - Fire Gem Remixes (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi - My Shit Is On (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi & Fukkk Offf - Let‘s Rock The Party (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi - Dwarf Nebula (Collaboration with Zombie Nation) (Television Rocks)
- Maral Salmassi - WYSIWYG (Amnesty International / Peace Compilation)
- Maral Salmassi - Food Porn (Television Rocks

Remixes
- Maral Salmassi – Robot Queen (Television Rec)
- Golden Days – Keep it Dry (Television Rec)
- John Starlight – Deep Down (Television Rec)
- Jonjon & G. Digger feat. Maral Salmassi – All the Girls (Criminal Rec.)
- Munk - Live Fast Die Old (Gomma Rec)
- The Sexinvaders - Silent Heart (Pling Plonk Rec.)
- Nias - She Would