Traditional Persian folk music and club-thumping dubstep make for an unusual pairing, but somehow, as evidenced by I’m the Soltan, the exquisite new EP by breakout electronic artist Soltan, it bangs in all the right ways. This unlikely cultural mash-up of sounds comes from an even unlikelier source -- right from the heart of Tehran, the Iranian capital city, where Soltan produces beats from his bedroom on the West side of this teeming Middle Eastern metropolis.

Soltan says he is forced to keep his identity a secret out of fear that the Iranian government might persecute him for his involvement with an American recording label (SectionZ Records), which is why he cannot provide his real name or show his likeness. Breaking through a sizeable language barrier, we talk to Soltan about his life as an Iranian artist making Western music.

Hometown and current city: Tehran, Iran

How did you get into making music?

I started making music in high school and started to learn the basics [of traditional music theory and composition].

How did that evolve into making the electronic music that you’re currently producing?

When I started, I was making short music clips and downloading them under the name Sholex. The first song I constructed was "Angry Bird." It was funny because I used the real voice of bird.

Who are the influences that inspire your unique blend of music?

Since I was a child I've been surrounded by music folklore, listening to traditional Indian, Turkish, and Arab music, but I also have been following electronic music for most of my life. For Western influences, I was really into Space Laces, Savant, Skrillex, Zomboy, and Skism.

What about the name Soltan? How did you decide on that?

That was the first name that came to my mind. Soltan means ruler or king in Iran and embodies a certain personality and level of respect. It always [compels the observer] to focus on the identity, not the face.

Your press materials say you lived in India for a time?

I never lived in India. I just was not sure of how to tell people I was from Iran, but now that I am meeting more people and learning how the music industry works, I am telling everyone where I am really from. It was not that I am afraid, it’s just that I did not know what to say.

Tell me how you put your songs together.

I like to construct a theme and write it down on paper, using my imagination to blend together the various cultural themes and sounds in my mind, and then start producing the music to blend them.

What do you like best about being Soltan?

I don’t like to talk about myself much. I keep to myself and work all the time. Being Soltan is interesting though.

Which one of your songs would you say is the fan favorite at this point?

Definitely "Salam Alaykom." 

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?

The message I want to give people is from another world. Much of what I do is just experimenting for now. Since I am new, I have a lot to learn. I do not have many places to play [live] music in Iran. There aren't many clubs so I love being able to share his music with fans online.

There is a lot in the news about recent diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran. What are some of the conversations that you and your peers are having about that?

When my friends are together, we talk about the U.S. and love the U.S. We want to have a connection and we wish that Iran and U.S. had a better relationship. I love the U.S. I also love Iran. This is where I am from and of course we are all different people. This is why I like music, it brings us together.