Nexus by Mohammad Reza Mortazavi

Latency presents Nexus, the new solo album by virtuoso Iranian percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi, out October 17 on vinyl and digital.

Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (b. 1979, Iran) is known for his groundbreaking work with the tombak and daf, traditional Persian drums that he has radically redefined through new playing techniques and extended vocabulary. Mortazavi began playing the tombak at the age of six. By nine, he had already outpaced his teacher and won Iran’s national tombak competition - a distinction he would earn six more times. By his early twenties, he was widely regarded as one of the foremost players of the instrument. Since then, his music has continued to evolve, embracing new forms and vocabularies beyond tradition.

Following his acclaimed 2019 release Ritme Jaavdanegi, Nexus marks Mortazavi’s return to Latency with a full-length album recorded entirely in Berlin. The record introduces new elements into his sound: voice, effects, and treatments never before used in his discography. These experiments serve not as departures but as further extensions of his ongoing exploration of rhythm, resonance, and transformation. The album opens with Zendegi (“Life”), a piece inspired by the chant “Woman, Life, Freedom.” Mortazavi broke down its underlying rhythm and used it to build a new compositional structure, offered as a gesture to his homeland and beyond.

Nexus refers to a point of connection or intersection, a meeting place where different energies, times, and spaces converge and transform. In Mohammad’s words :

“Nexus” was a journey for me - a deep, transformative experience. Along the way, the ideas of connection, mutual influence, and transformation became clearly reflected in my sound. In moments where my playing shifted between release and focus, I came to understand that music is my teacher. It leads me to a place where everything is interconnected. For me, “Nexus” is the point where everything converges - where each encounter brings about a profound and new transformation. On this path, I became aware of something that remains unseen, yet undeniably present: an invisible world, hidden from view, whose effects shape our visible reality. Though we cannot see it, it is in motion - and through sound, through the waves of music, it connects with the outer world. “Nexus,” then, is more than a connection. It is a space beyond the visible - a point of convergence where the hidden becomes audible." –– Mohammad Reza Mortazavi.

The cover artwork features an image by American visual artist and filmmaker Jordan Belson (1926–2011). Belson’s work, often referred to as “cosmic cinema” or “visual music”, explores themes of consciousness, transcendence, and the infinite nature of the universe. The pairing with Mortazavi’s percussive, trance-induced musical language feels immediate: two approaches to rhythm and energy, balance and harmony, coming together at a single point.

Mortazavi’s hypnotic live performances have been featured at renowned venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Paris Pantheon and the Sydney Opera House. In recent years, Mortazavi’s rhythmic explorations have resonated deeply with the experimental electronic music scene, leading to collaborations with artists such as Burnt Friedman and Mark Fell.

Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (b. 1978, Iran) began playing the Tombak at the age of six. His extraordinary talent quickly became evident—by the time he was nine, he had already surpassed his teacher’s ability to guide him further.

His powerful, hypnotic live performances have been featured at renowned venues including the Berlin Philharmonie and the Sydney Opera House.