Name: Stereotype
Members: Meshcut, Xeen
Nationality: Iranian
Current release: Stereotype's Code EP is out via 30M.
Recommendations: Hieranymous Bosch - The complete works (40th edition)

If you enjoyed this Stereotype interview and would like to know more about the band and their music, visit the duo on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud. They also have their individual instagram pages: Meshcut; Xeen. 



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

Xeen: When I listen to music, I find myself naturally drawn into a world where sounds take on a tangible quality.

Closing my eyes enhances this sensory experience, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the nuances of the music. Each melody seems to evoke its own unique landscape, while frequencies may subtly blend into a palette of colors. Rhythmic drum patterns might quietly shape the underlying foundation of the auditory canvas.

It's a journey where every note hints at a deeper, more intricate layer of sensation.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to listening to and creating music?

Meshcut: For me, music is like a doorway to another realm, where everything feels upside down and wonderfully strange. It's like stepping into a parallel universe where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the rules of reality don't quite apply.

Whether I'm listening to music or creating it, I'm drawn to this sense of adventure and escape, where I can lose myself in a world of imagination and endless possibilities.

What were your very first steps in music like and how would you rate the gains made through experience?

Xeen: My journey into music started in an indie rock band in Tehran when I was 18. But it wasn't until I took to the stage for the first time that everything clicked for me. Suddenly, I knew deep down that music was what I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life.

It's funny, because even though I've always been a bit shy in other aspects of my life, being on stage felt like the most natural thing in the world.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

Xeen: During my teenage years, music became my refuge, especially when I was grappling with depression and social anxiety. Those were the days when I couldn't step out of my room without my headphones. Music was my constant companion, offering me a sense of comfort and understanding that I struggled to find elsewhere.

But as I grew older, I realized that just listening to music wasn't fulfilling enough. There was this itch to create, to add my own voice to the melodies that had once carried me through tough times.

How would you describe your own relationship with your instrument, tools or equipment?

Meshcut: My instrument aremy own vocal cords, an extension of myself that remains somewhat mysterious.

It's a deeply personal connection, one that allows me to express emotions and ideas in ways that words alone cannot.

Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

Meshcut: The drive to create, for me, is like a puzzle made up of different pieces. Personal connections, the pulse of politics, and everyday interactions all contribute to this mix.

Dreams and exposure to various art forms add another layer to this blend of inspiration. It's in those quiet moments of contemplation where these elements come together, sparking new ideas and pushing me to create.

Are you acting out parts of your personality in your music which you couldn't or wouldn't in your daily life? If so, which are these? What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music?

Meshcut: Yes, I believe so. Through my music, I've found a platform to express aspects of my sexual identity that I may not feel as comfortable sharing in my everyday life.

On stage, with a microphone in hand, I transcend societal expectations and embrace a persona that reflects my true self—a version of me that I envision in my ideal world, free from constraints.

The key idea behind my approach to music is liberation—to break down barriers, challenge norms, and authentically express the full spectrum of my identity.

If music is a language, what can we communicate with it? How do you deal with misunderstandings?

Xeen: As someone who’s experienced being misunderstood a lot, I find music to be a way of speaking without words.

When I create music, it's like sharing my thoughts and emotions. But when others listen, they add their own feelings and experiences to the mix. Sometimes, they might understand it differently than I intended, and that's okay.

It's all part of the beauty of music - it's open to interpretation.

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and about discovery. How do you retain a sense of playfulness and how do you still draw surprises from tools, approaches and musical forms you may be very familiar with?  

Meshcut: For me, maintaining a sense of playfulness in music is essential. It's about constantly seeking surprises, even in familiar tools and forms.

Nature, with its serene silence and subtle sounds, is my greatest inspiration, infusing my music with spontaneity and freshness.

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and about discovery. How do you retain a sense of playfulness and how do you still draw surprises from tools, approaches and musical forms you may be very familiar with?  

Meshcut: I'm mostly inspired by the silence in nature, birds singing, sound of the river, wind blowing, in fact, in an environment with no more industrial noises.

There seems to be an increasing trend to capture music in algorithms, and data. But already at the time of Plato, arithmetic, geometry, and music were considered closely connected. How do you see that connection yourself? What aspects of music do you feel can be captured through numbers, and which can not?

Xeen: Music has always had ties to mathematics, evident in elements like rhythm and harmony. While math offers a framework, artistic expression goes beyond numbers.

In my opinion, using algorithms solely for commercial gain can compromise artistic integrity. However, when used to refine ideas, tools like these can enhance creativity without overshadowing the artist's vision.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

Meshcut: My approach to making music reflects my approach to life—inspired by personal experiences, each moment becomes a potential soundtrack.

In delving deeper into music, we can uncover valuable lessons about life's harmony, expression, and beauty.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

Xeen: There's something special about being surrounded by music—it's like diving into a world of emotion and expression.

But in the midst of all that noise, I've found that silence holds its own magic. It's in those quiet moments that I can really hear myself think, untangling the mess of thoughts and feelings.

Silence gives me a chance to just be, away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Meshcut: I believe in the art of living.

You can prepare coffee so delicately like you are  creating a piece of art, but the message you deliver through your artwork is completely different. That's why we may call the result inherently different, not the process.

If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

Xeen: In my view, financial stability is crucial for artists to fully pursue their creative passions. Balancing a traditional 9-5 job with the demands of artistic creation can be incredibly challenging.

I wish for a future where artists are valued and compensated fairly for their work. This entails streaming companies, venues, and other platforms recognizing the true worth of art and compensating artists accordingly.

When artists are financially secure, they can devote themselves fully to their craft, fostering a more vibrant and diverse artistic landscape.