Silk Road Secret Agents is Discotchari’s monthly debriefing of music that highlights the fusion of musical movements around the world and throughout the ages with ethnic identities rooted in the diverse Silk Road region. We also dive deep into the history of artists whose life stories and music evoke dramatic cinema fit for Tarantino, Kiarostami, Wong Kar-Wai, Youssef Chahine and other legendary directors. These artists often times relied on their musical talent to navigate complex social structures, unite people from different backgrounds, and preserve their ethnic roots by reimagining them in new forms: inspiring the name “Silk Road Secret Agents”.

The basis of the Silk Road’s influence was local demand and appreciation for foreign supply of spices, materials, knowledge and all other tangible forms of culture. Alongside our radio show, we bring these values into the real world by playing and promoting live events featuring local talent who collectively embody the second metaphor of “Silk Road Secret Agents”: music selectors and artists acting as ambassadors and creators of international dance and roots music that is embedded with traditions catering to multinational audiences commonly found in cities with rich social fabric.

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Today we invite one of our favorite labels LEZVANI to do a showcase of their roster and recordings, highlighting Yerevan’s thriving community of independent artists across a wide spectrum of sound. Led by DJ and producer Téodor Monk, the most recent release “LEZVANI DANCEFORCES, VOL. III” harkens back to the birth of Detroit house music and explores how it has transmutated across cultures. At its core, LEZVANI takes priority over genre limitations and is more focused on creating a fusion between all styles of music and the contemporary Armenian experience, as heard through the various local artists that they work with.