ARTIST PROFILE
Arash Sobhani is a songwriter and guitarist, known for his sharp lyricism and as the founder of Kiosk, a cornerstone of Iranian alternative music. Now based in New York, Sobhani’s debut solo album, DOOD (“Smoke”), is a direct extension of the city’s cosmopolitan spirit—where cultures, genres, and ideas intersect in real time. His songs are written in Farsi, but speak to anyone who’s ever felt like a global nomad: private, poetic, and resonant with an undercurrent of political awareness—never didactic, always universal.
With KIOSK
Arash Sobhani, as the vocalist, guitarist, lyricist, and songwriter of the Iranian rock band Kiosk, has recorded eleven albums since the band’s formation in Tehran in 2003 and its subsequent relocation to the United States in 2005. Kiosk is internationally recognized for fusing blues, gypsy jazz, and rock with Persian lyrical satire to critique censorship, corruption, and social hypocrisy. The band has toured extensively across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia, performing at major venues including Yoshi’s Jazz Club and the Palace of Fine Arts. In 2021, Kiosk released Sweet Destiny (سرنوشت شیرین), the first full-length Persian rock opera, the album, which allegorically confronts capital punishment, is freely available on YouTube and has received multiple international festival awards for its artistic and human rights contributions. Kiosk has collaborated with several prominent artists, including Mohsen Namjoo, and their music has appeared in acclaimed films and documentaries such as A Girl
Work Beyond Music
Work Beyond Music: Arash Sobhani holds a Master’s degree in architecture from the Isfahan University of Art and has worked as a practicing architect in both Iran and the United States. In parallel with his creative work, he has produced and hosted a range of television and digital media programs, including political satire shows such as OnTen for VOA Persian, music programs like Replay and NY Harmony, and entertainment formats including Persia’s Got Talent for MBC Persia. His work in media reflects a consistent interest in cultural expression and critical commentary. Over the years, he has also been an active participant in civic and political spaces, particularly in the context of Iran’s pro-democracy movement. Sobhani has contributed his music to a number of fundraising events and advocacy campaigns, and has performed at public demonstrations, rallies, and protests in support of human rights, freedom of expression, and opposition to the death penalty. His involvement in these areas reflects a long-standing engagement with issues that extend beyond the stage or studio.
Musical Collaborations
Arash Sobhani has collaborated with a wide range of artists from across the Iranian and international music scenes. He has performed with the late Mohammad Noori, one of Iran’s most revered vocal masters, and recorded or performed with acclaimed musicians such as Mohsen Namjoo, Sheedrokh Mohaghegh, Faramarz Aslani, Shahriar Masroor, and Ramin Behna. In addition to his collaborations within the Persian-speaking world, Sobhani has also worked with artists from Turkey, the United States, Lebanon, and Egypt, reflecting the transnational reach of his musical practice. These collaborations span studio recordings, live performances, and multimedia projects, and are rooted in a shared interest in artistic experimentation and cross-cultural exchange. The names mentioned here represent only a portion of the many musicians Sobhani has worked with throughout his career.