Baxtak

Introduction

Baxtak, is the British-Iranian founder of the Outtallectuals music and arts label and co-curator of the Shivelight music platform. Growing up in Iran, Baxtak was involved in Tehran’s punk rock, alternative, and skateboarding scenes in the 2000s. In search of greater autonomy, he moved to the UK, where his unique musical and cultural vision could be cultivated with more freedom. Currently, he continues to influence the music world through music production, curation and live performance aimed at uniting art, culture, and sustainability.

Links to all platforms below.

Music Production

As a producer, Baxtak’s music blends avant-garde electronic styles with global influences, from Middle Eastern hip-hop to South Asian and Oriental dub, crafting a style unbound by genre or tempo. Baxtak has contributed to a number of Outtallectuals compilations (see below) and produced two songs for Syrian hip-hop artist, Assasi; “The Blue Giant” and “Ghost Of Sham” (co-produced with Haquin).

Music Curation

As a curator, Baxtak is the founder of Outtallectuals, and the director of all label operations, including curating and organising releases, and administering music rights for +70 releases (230 songs).

This work has also included curation of sustainable development & in-person projects, namely a TEDx appearance, a festival curation in Bhutan, regular events in London, fundraiser projects in Nepal and international documentary-making and screening.

Baxtak also co-curates the Shivelight music platform, spearheading curation of YouTube videos and curating Spotify playlists.

Here’s a recent interview expanding on some of these past projects:

Live Performance

DJing in a variety of styles, Baxtak has performed alongside Nepali reggae artist, Cultivation, as well as making a name for his more world-music inspired sets. In rarer explorations, Baxtak has also delivered darker sets, including for avant-garde live audiovisual collaborations. Some of these appearances include:

– Mo:Dem 2022 & 2023 (Croatia)
– Celo Connect 2022 (Spain)
– Boom Festival 2018 (Portugal)
– Ethnofusion and Outtallectuals Sessions 2016-2017 (London, UK)
– Ozora Festival 2016 – Chill Out Dome (Hungary)
– 2016 New Year Street Festival (PKR, Nepal)
– Yantra 4.0 (KTM, Nepal)
– Bhutan International Festival 2015 (Bhutan)
– Blackout Basel 2015 (Switzerland)
– Shanti Ustav 2015 (KTM, Nepal)