Delusive Relics, an electronic music project by married couple Frank Nik and Anis Oveisi, are having their album debut party for Chaotic Notions at the Hatbox Theatre on Friday. The album was released Feb. 18, and is heavily influenced by the works of bands like Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. This will be the first time the duo performs music from their new album, and the show will feature Nik and Oveisi on keyboards and Oveisi on vocals.
Their upcoming performance will have theatrical outfits and visual effects to demonstrate illusion, which is a focal point for the band. The songs demonstrate stories of delusion, which Nik states can be found everywhere, and he is especially interested in fantasy which is reflected in the songs for this project. Nik describes delusion as any instance where people believe what’s not really there, including how people see the same things so differently. After 15 years of touring around the world with progressive rock band Mavara, Nik felt it was time to take on his dream project of making electronic music like what he grew up listening to.
Nik and Oveisi are most excited for people to hear their new song “A Woman’s Diary,” which is a powerful song about equality for men and women. The inspiration for this song came from the gender inequality in their home country Iran after a woman got arrested for taking her hijab off in public. This song is a focus on gender inequality from a woman’s perspective, and includes lines such as, “Don’t tell me who I should see, don’t tell me what I should wear, I’m not your puppet,” and “I was born free like an eagle in the sky.”
Nik and Oveisi are strong advocates for equality, and Nik says that he “hopes one day everyone will see women as humans instead of objects.” He also pointed out that although gender inequality is different for countries such as Iran than it is in the United States, it’s a problem everywhere and this song was written to address that.
When writing songs, Nik says he usually starts out with a baseline temp and creates the music from there. The lyric inspiration for the songs come from everywhere including books, movies, and day to day life and observations. Nik and Oveisi have always had a passion for creating music and came to the U.S. seven years ago to continue their careers in music.
Self-taught singer-songwriter and percussive guitarist Senie Hunt will be joining Delusive Relics as a special guest for the upcoming show. Based in Concord, Hunt performs throughout New England and his playing has been described as eclectic, powerful, and artfully unique.
The show will take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Hatbox Theatre, located on Loudon Road in Concord. Ticket prices for adults are $17, students/seniors/members are $14, and senior members are $12. Tickets can be purchased by calling 715-2315, or by visiting hatboxnh.com.
(Caron is a high school senior VLACS student who is interested in pursuing music journalism.)