moody mehran
Music, Politics, and the Cost of Visibility
“A big part of why electronic mu- sic resonated with me in the first place is its political and cultural history. It comes from spaces of resistance and expression within Black American, Latin and queer club communities, and even though I came into it later, that sense of unity and opposition to the norm was something I imme- diately connected with.”
There is an awareness here that goes beyond aesthetics. A re- cognition that the dancefloor is not neutral. It carries histories, tensions, and responsibilities.
“I have always felt like an outsi- der and never really fit within ‘the norm”. That changed when I got pulled into the club scene, where I finally felt space to be myself. From that point on, music beca- me one of the main ways for me to express that feeling.”
“Both music and politics have been two of the strongest exter- nal forces shaping who I am. Be- cause of that, I have often felt a responsibility to use my platform in support of people and com- munities that are being suppres- sed or overlooked.”
That responsibility, however, co- mes with consequences.
“At the same time, that relations- hip has shifted in the last few months. I have experienced the downsides of speaking out, from being excluded in certain spaces to receiving direct threats on so- cial media, especially in relation to political situations like the un- rest in Iran.”
“I have always been okay with the idea that there can be con- sequences to what you say, or that you might not be able to play everywhere because of it. But recently it has reached a point where I have started to feel less and less safe in my own home and environment, due to direct threats.”
“That has not changed my be- liefs, but it has changed how I choose to express them. Instead of speaking out directly all the time, I have become more care-
ful and selective in how I engage, and more focused on contribu- ting in other ways.”
“That is also why being part of the Apranik compilation means a lot to me. It feels important to contribute to something that brings together different voices within the Iranian community, where the collective message is more important than any indivi- dual statement. I am very grate- ful to Aida and Nesa for asking me to be part of it. My track, Kish, named after the Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, is part of this release.”
TLM and the Logic of the Collec- tive
“For me, TLM is basically friends sharing their passion for music together. I really enjoy being able to do shows with people I am close with.”
If solo DJing is introspective, co- llective performance becomes relational. A constant negotia- tion of taste, direction, and trust.
“DJing on my own is something I love, and I feel very lucky to do it, but it can also be quite a lonely experience. Especially when you are not feeling your best, that can become difficult. With TLM it feels more like being in a band. We pull each other through di- fferent moments, and we create a lot of memories together. That shared experience is something really special to me.”
“I also feel like TLM is much more focused on the collective, where the individual has less weight. It is very democratic in the way we approach sets. We follow the vibe rather than one person lea- ding the direction.”
“So it can happen that I want to go somewhere musically, but Tjade and Gijs feel differently, and then I have to adapt as well. That constant exchange keeps it interesting.”
“We also play much bigger shows with TLM than I usually do solo, which creates a nice balan- ce in my overall DJ life. It keeps things challenging and fresh at the same time.”
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