MP3DB.pro - Deleyaman

Deleyaman was founded in the fall of 2000 by Aret Madilian, an American-Armenian
multi-instrumentalist, musician and singer originally from Los Angeles, California living
in a French coastal village on the English Channel. A former member of a little known,
obscure post-punk, new wave band called "Wog" from the South Bay in Los Angeles, Aret
Madilian's first album (released as a 12 inch 45rpm in 1983), was recorded and produced by
Spot, the record producer and engineer of the influential independent punk record label SST
Records (Black Flag, Minutemen, Hu"sker Du", Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth). Deleyaman initially
consisted of Aret Madilian, Beatrice Valantin (the French female singer) and Gerard Madilian
(the Armenian duduk player of the band). Mia Bjorlingsson, their Swedish female drummer
joined the band a year later, following the release of the first Deleyaman album "00/1" in
2001. The most recent addition to the line-up is Ara Duzian on guitars. Duzian who had
partially participated to the recording sessions of the latest Deleyaman album entitled
"Fourth, part one", joined the band shortly after its release.

Classifying the musical genre of Deleyaman is a difficult task. However, some sources have
described their music as ethereal, mystical, darkwave, heavenly, gothic and at times as
world music.

The heavy use of the Armenian duduk, the saz or the kementche (Armenian fiddle) next to
contemporary electronic instruments, guitars, drums and percussions, the prayer like vocals
and chants of Beatrice Valantin and Aret Madilian in several languages constitute a major
part of their music.

The first three Deleyaman albums, "00/1" (2001), "second" (2003) and "3" (2006) produced by
TTO Records and Deleyaman, were released on the Paris based world music, indie label
Editions Nech with UK and US distributions through Code 7, Plastic Head and Projekt.
Deleyaman's fourth album entitled "Fourth, part one" was released in 2009 on TTO Records in
collaboration with the Naregatsi Art Institute in North America. The European release of the
album was exclusively licensed to the Portuguese indie label, Equilibrium Music.

In 2005, The Armenian Duduk music was proclaimed by UNESCO a Masterpiece of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Deleyaman is without a doubt one of Armenian duduk's
notable representatives in contemporary alternative music today.