Katayoun is a longtime collector, radio host, and DJ whose work focuses on preserving the musical heritage and cultural narratives of Iran’s pre-1979 vinyl era and the recording history of the Iranian diaspora, particularly the Tehrangeles scene from the 1980s to the 2000s. As an archivist, she carries an expansive collection of Iranian vinyl, cassettes, and CDs. She hosts the outsider's show Sonic Imaginaries at Kiosk Radio.

"These days, all I feel is despair, numbness, and shock at what is happening in my home country. The selection for this show comes from a place of pain, but also from love, for Iranian music, for its depth, its beauty, and its endless ability to heal. Featuring artists whose careers began before 1979 and who continued making music in exile, the mixtape brings together both iconic songs and hidden gems that align with my grieving mood at this time.

The show also celebrates a tradition of resistance in Iranian music. Above everything, it's a love letter to Iran, to my motherland, to my ninety million kin. In solidarity with the people on the streets demanding a better life free from endless tyranny and pain.

All tracks were recorded in diaspora, in Tehrangeles. Many of the lyrics are about Iran, the homeland, its people, and resistance. Others speak to heartbreak, loss, and longing.

Like so many Iranians, I carry a deep, embodied, and trans-generational grief that can feel isolating. In the past weeks, I’ve been glued to my phone and news reels, following political analyses, chasing every bit of information I can find. Only through making this show could I finally let my tears flow. Recording it was cathartic, a small release from the tension building in my body. 

I hope it will bring you healing, too. Zendebad Enghelabe Mardomi, Zende bad Musighi. Viva la Revolución, Viva la Música."