District Unknown Are at the Forefront of an Afghan Psychedelic and Heavy Metal Scene That Is Pioneering a New Underground Renaissance by Daniel J
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flower children District Unknown (from left, Qais Shaghasi, Pedram and Qasem Foushanji) are among the leaders of Kabul’s “ispandi” counter- culture movement District Unknown are at the forefront of an afghan psycheDelic anD heavy metal scene that is pioneering a new UnDergroUnD renaissance By Daniel J. gerstle photos B y Davi D gill 52 • Rolling Stone, December 2011 Rolling Stone, December 2011 • 53 DISTRICT UNKNOWN e’re cutting through the black, dusty night city having just attacked the NATO com- before settling on District Unknown. Like pound a week earlier, some half-expect the the actual ispandi kids, who offer bless- searching for a rock party in a secret underground police or a suicide attacker to break into ings to complete strangers while being bunker in Kabul, Afghanistan. Crossing the in- the club – and many would probably wel- treated like lepers, the counter-culture come a raid. musicians and artists offer powerful mes- tersection past a police checkpoint and heading Qasem grins devilishly. I do my best to sages of hope but are treated like unrepen- down an empty street, we hear a low, throbbing slam him back into the fray before getting tant sinners. an elbow in the eye from someone else. He “The smoke,” Qasem growl emanate from the basement of an apart- laughs, then slams Pedram into yet another explains, “is said to take ment building. The bass and drums softly pulsating in the victim of the mosh. Tonight is District Un- away bad things or dan- w known’s night to let go and support Adib ger, to bless a person or shadows of a silent war zone are enough to drop blood pressure, and their other friends in White Page. To- a thing. The ispandis are hasten respiration, and spark the bitter taste of adrenaline. morrow District Unknown will take the very innocent and so poor stage themselves, performing publicly for they have to work that way Descending hidden stairs into smoky, anything else in their native war zone. In a the first time without wearing masks. to provide money for home. red light we are swallowed by the thun- city so traumatized and conservative that Months before the festival, an ultra- Ispandis reflect a tragic side der of amplified guitar in Hoodies, the cemeteries have outgrown parks, where conservative student found District Un- of Afghan society, which is city’s first hard-rock club. Inside, people hash smoke fills alleyways and alcohol is known’s Facebook page and sent them a vast. As a band name, it are moshing to Afghan rock band White forbidden, where hanging out with a girl stern warning that they should stop mak- would sound kind of funny Page’s performance of System of a Down’s can destroy her reputation, and where ing modern music. Accusers had con- to many Afghan people, and “Toxicity.” Someone slams me so hard I fly music was banned under the previous gov- structed a flammable lie: that the band very low class, but I am sure across the room into a couple of journos ernment, there is nothing more exhilarat- had been receiving funds from Western- many of them would also like and split my shoe down the seam. Looking ing than pounding that tension out in re- ers to tempt the city’s youth – and girls it because it shows sympathy up before slamming back, I find the tufted hearsal, dreaming of performing at an in particular – toward sin. Fearing more towards those kids, towards that part of society.” beard of Qasem Foushanji, the tall singer, underground club filled with a screaming, false rumors, if not an actual attack, Pe- 1 2 bassist, and modern artist who, along with co-ed mob of metal heads. dram and Qasem went for help to state Qasem, as an abstract his drummer brother Pedram, and guitar- But Kabul is surrounded by close- security. They explained they were not painter whose work – like his Known Unknowns ist friend, Qais Shaghasi, are quickly be- minded fathers, radicals, and rebels only peaceful but pious, only to find that lyrics – is saturated in blacks and grays, or coming leaders in Afghanistan’s first true fighting to take the country back from the government, too, had been watching contrastingly in reds and yellows, believes (1) Pedram and counter-culture movement. moderates and re-install nationwide the band. Not sure what else to do to pro- music and art are intertwined, particular- Qasem Foushanji in Qasem, with his long arms and top- bans on music and counter-culture. Ul- tect themselves, the band took a page from ly in a people’s attempt to re-emerge after 1990. (2) Qasem and Qais Shaghasi in the a prolonged national tragedy like Afghan- heavy hair, has that way of looking both traconservative Taliban rebels and their their metal heroes, Slipknot, and decided masks they wore to intimidating and boyish at the same time. allies have been blamed for September’s to wear white masks on stage. istan’s latest war. hide their identities at He believes musicians and artists are previous gigs. (3) At compelled to find meaning in what’s hap- underground club pening around them, not simply escape Hoodies during “They Turned up saying They were a meTal it. This is the critical passion that sets “stealth” rock festival District Unknown and their peers apart Sound Central in from Afghanistan’s other musicians and Kabul in September, BanD,” says gallet. “all rock-starreD Up, BUt they DiDn’t artists. playing in public for the first time without “Being unrealistic and feeling surrealis- covering their faces. know how to play anD DiD not have a single instrUment.” tic in a country like Afghanistan,” Qasem 3 tells me, “doesn’t help the flavor of music. One should not sing about going out for fans, especially those who wanted to bring and both knew there was something pow- His brother, Pedram, moshing beside him, music store bombing in nearby Peshawar Within weeks of masking themselves, a coffee with a f***ing non-existent girl- hard rock back to the country. erful about performing the music, not just is a cold steel intellectual with surgical and 2010’s bombing of a pop concert in it became apparent that journalists and friend. We’ve got blood and bodies, trag- Beard began mentoring, and docu- listening to it. Qasem loved to quote lyr- wit, an Abe Lincoln beard, and knuckles Herat. They want to keep not only rock enemies alike already knew who they edy, and despair here. We have to stick to menting the rise of, Kabul Dreams. Front- ics from bands including their heroes, Slip- taped from beating the shine off cymbals musicians, but all musicians, free-think- were. Together with fellow Afghan groups what is real, and seek a solution.” ed by singer-guitarist Sulyman Qardosh, knot, on his Facebook page, believing lines and snare. Shaghasi, standing on the edge ing writers, abstract painters, punks, White Page and Face Off, blues-rock band the band write safe songs with a Califor- like “Who the f*** am I to criticize your of the crowd just drinking in the music, skaters, and street artists silenced or out Morcha, indie-rockers Kabul Dreams, ex- istrict unknown and the nia sound. Soon enough, they gained pop- twisted state of mind… /F*** this shit, I’m has the quiet stare of someone who’s try- of the country. patriate music mentors, and leagues of movement they represent con- ularity and began planning a tour outside sick of it/You’re going down/This is a war,” ing to figure out how to win a girl back local headbangers, artists, street taggers, verged this past summer thanks the country. For Beard, Kabul Dreams fit the mood of young Afghans perfectly. from a longtime enemy. t’s september and around 50 of and bloggers, District Unknown were be- to the cultural glue of Beard – the was just the beginning. He wanted to nur- When the brothers saw White City Performing together they are Dis- Kabul’s hard-rock musicians, metal ginning to see themselves as the frontline Australian punk – and his collection of ture the next step in that progression, Ka- perform, Pedram was quick to approach trict Unknown, the country’s first heavy heads, artists, and bloggers have gath- of Kabul’s counter-culture movement. Kabul rock friends. Beard, a photogra- bul’s tortured underbelly: heavy metal. Beard to ask where they might be able to metal band and pioneers of “psychedel- ered in Hoodies every night this week With tomorrow’s Sound Central festival pher, biker, graffiti artist, rock guitarist, Ever since arriving from Iran, where the practice. The guitarist took one look at ic metal.” They want nothing more than along with foreign journalists and aid concert as their opening salvo, they aim to and filmmaker known to free-thinkers Foushanjis had sought refuge during the them and knew they’d work well with two to produce the loudest, meanest music workers to celebrate Sound Central, the claim a beachhead for freedom of expres- all over Central Asia, is quickly becoming war, Pedram couldn’t wait to get his hands brooding guitarists named Qais Shaghasi ever performed in Afghanistan. Tonight first Afghan rock festival in 35 years and sion in one of the most conservative and Kabul’s Malcolm McLaren. He first raised and feet bloodied pounding heavy metal and Lemar Saifulla. they are banging their heads with their – since every event is announced secretly violent cities in the world. So the time has the profile of the Afghan rock scene when on a drum kit.