Zoobeen Banafsh

Original & First X DOT 25 Music Band - Circa 1990

The mystery song that started world fusion!

Fur Elise of BEETHOVEN

When Zoobeen Banafsh band released their Arghavan album, the B-side of the cassette held a mystery. The second song had no title—just a question mark (?). Now, 35 years later, we can finally reveal the song’s name: “Für Elise” by Beethoven.

This track stands as one of the first examples of World Fusion music. Zoobeen Banafsh members took the famous German composer’s classic, originally in 4/4 time, and reimagined it with a Persian 6/8 rhythm—the signature beat of Persian music that drives its distinctive dance grooves. The result was a bold cultural fusion, blending East and West in a way that was truly ahead of its time.

This classic and groundbreaking album will be re-released in its original form to celebrate 35 years of X Dot 25 Music. It will remain very close to as it was produced—organic and innocent. The band has chosen not to heavily remaster, remix, or alter it, preserving its historical integrity as a musical artifact.

Although 2,000 copies were originally pressed, only 1,000 are believed to still exist. They are now considered collector’s items, rarely changing hands—none have ever been spotted on eBay!

In the first pressing (1,000), the song Mikham Beram Be Khoneh featured Mehdi Ghandomi on vocals. However, the band later decided his performance didn’t fully capture the spirit of the track. For the second pressing, they invited Shokey Ansari, the lead singer of the popular Bay Area band Mikhak, to re-record the song. Shokey upgraded the lyrics a bit before singing them. The new version was tracked at Paradise Studios in Sacramento.

To make this change, the band undertook a meticulous process. They opened every cassette package, destroyed the original tapes, and salvaged the covers and boxes. They then brought the materials—along with an updated insert crediting Shokey Ansari—to Tape Specialty Inc. in Fremont, California, where 1,000 new cassettes were produced and repackaged.

The finished cassettes ended up stacked in Max’s living room in San Mateo, awaiting distribution. Reality hits, Distribution!

Arghavan may sound funny, raw, and experimental by today’s X DOT 25 Music standards, but it represents the band’s beginnings—a sincere and fearless expression of creativity and innovation. The group is proud to share it once again, along with its remarkable history.

Here are the songs:

Lyrics to the songs are at the bottom of this page.

Max Ahmadi

Max Ahmadi (Zoobeen) - Paradise Studios Sacramento
Arghavan Recording Sessions - Circa 1990

Max Ahmadi has been a music visionary for all his life starting at age 7.

“Coming from a large family of eight and being the youngest of all, at around five years old I was introduced to classical music. My oldest brother Manocher, who was for many years my leader and mentor, had brought us a Groundig open reel player from one of his trips to Germany and with it he had purchased some classical reel tapes, specially Symphony # 5 and #9 by Beethoven and Symphony # 41 by Mozart! That was all I had to listen to on that machine! So my introduction to music was classical music. Later on, I listened to Rodrigo, Chopin, and others. In my early teen years I was introduced to Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson and Moody Blues where I was getting a good dose of heavy music with deep lyrics and that is when I noticed there is correlation between music and philosophy of life, emotions and more.... I found music as soundtrack of my life! This transcended everything else in my life.specifically songs like: Epitaph by King Crimson, Melancholy Man & Nights in White Satin by Moody Blues, Welcome to Machine by Pink Floyd!

When I was 8 years old in the summer, I made my first movie with music and all! Watching TV, I decided I make my own movie and have my own box to show it in. So I created a story line and cut pictures from books and magazines and pasted them together frame by frame. Them grabbed a cardboard box and cut the face of it and using 2 sticks that I had my "film" rolled around them, I installed the film in the box so the pictures could be seen from the cut out window. I also installed a small curtain in front of the opening with ropes to pull them to open and close. I also used a spot light to be able to see the pictures in the dark. Then I invited my friends into the dark basement of our home and had a show with classical music and recited the story for them. They even paid an admission fee to get in to see it!

In early teen years, I listened to western classic rock bands along side classical music and suddenly my brother Abe brought home a tape that he had received from his friend with the music of Tangerine Dram and Klaus Schulze. I found that music totally amazing and along side these we found Vangelis and whole flue of electronic musicians including Jean Michel Jarre.

When I started college in Connecticut, I was planning to become a mixing engineers and run large sound and light mixing boards in large concerts, Thus I choose Engineering as my major and by transferring to USC and later on to UC Berkeley, I continued with the mixing engineer concept but after graduating from Graduate school at Stanford ended up working in Telecommunications! Music was still running strong in every artery of my life. Thus in 1981 we bought a Prophet 5 Synthesizer made by a small company called Sequential Circuits from San Jose, California, and the whole world changed for me even further.”

Payman Abdali

Payman Abdali is a synthesist who creates an astonishing soundscape in his music. The debut instrumental album, “Angel of Thoughts” is a powerful sonic story that will take you to distant Persia. Payman started writing music on synthesizers and computers, honing his personal musical vision. In his music he paints a picture of a land and culture torn between the ancient and the modern, and shares with his listeners his gift of harmony and rhythm.

At the ripe old age of seven, my imaginations took flight; I soared in "Ether," I felt free as a bird. I wanted to create a spaceship to take me there, where my thoughts found no boundaries. On my eighth birthday, my father gave me a chemistry set, that tantalized me beyond description. My enthusiasm overflowed; now I was a scientist. Really and truly I was immersed in the process of finding the "Ether," the substance that had eluded discovery for ages.

At the age  of eleven, I embarked upon learning mathematics and logarithm, and their interrelationship with everyday life and its manifestations. I was curious, driven to learn and relate the numbers to the many fields and practices around me. My dreams were taking shape, I was more methodical, music entered my life, or shall we say I was given to music. My thoughts took flight, I conducted my first orchestra in my dreams; to my own total astonishment and amazement. Music had impacted my life with a bang that I would hear the reverberations for many years to come.

In 1978 the destiny took a U-turn; I went to England to pursue my education. I had entered a time warp; I was propelled into an unknown. I was an impressionable young man in search of his future.  I never stopped dreaming, unswervingly and without hesitation I proceeded with my new life and all its nuances. Upon my return home, in times of turbulence and cultural revolution I formed my first band, called "The Human Beast." We dreamed and played, and played and dreamed endlessly.

I began composing in 1989, and dreams came to fruition through my synthesizers. My albums are the culmination of a long journey through time and the realization of many dreams.  May this music harmonize with your dreams as it has with mine. Who knows, maybe you and I have had the same dream sometime and may have been the same person in the "Ether." ... Payman

History Corner

X DOT 25 Music first ever release: Arghavan (Meaning Redbuds - A purple tree)

Lyrics

Fire & Water 

در وفای عشق تو مشهور خوبانم چو شمع
شب نشین کوی سربازان و رندانم چو شمع
روز و شب خوابم نمی‌آید به چشم غم پرست
بس که در بیماری هجر تو گریانم چو شمع

 
در میان آب و آتش همچنان سرگرم توست
در میان آب و آتش همچنان سرگرم توست

در میان آب و آتش
در میان آب و آتش

 در میان آب و آتش همچنان سرگرم توست

کوه صبرم نرم شد چون موم از دست غمت
تا در آب و آتش عشقت گدازانم چو شمع

همچو صبحم یک نفس باقیست به دیدار تو
چهره بنما دلبرا تا جان برافشانم چو شم

آتش مهر تو حافظ را عجب در سر گرفت
آتش مهر تو حافظ را عجب در سر گرفت

در میان آب و آتش همچنان سرگرم توست
همچنان سرگرم توست
همچنان سرگرم تو

در میان آب و آتش
در میان آب و آتش
در میان آب و آتش
در میان آب و آتش
در میان آب و آتش

—————————————-

Let Everyone Know

نيمه شب از خواب برخواستم
در عمق  رويا تورا مى خواستم

من خوش صدايت رإ در بى صدايى
در سنگينى سكوت شنيدم

واز جسم نا اميدم پركشيدم
من پركشيدم

 بگزار همه بدانند٬ نگزار در خفا بماند
بگزاربه شب بگويم٬ بگزاربه تو بخوانم

  من جان به كف در پى تو٬ در پى شب
در پى سياهى رنگ چشمت بودم

 حال نگوكه شب غرق در چشم توست
غرق درسياهى چشم مست توست

 بگزار همه بدانند٬ نگزار در خفا بماند
بگزاربه شب بگويم٬ بگزاربه تو بخوانم

 به تو فرياد زدم٬ بگزار همه بدانند
كه من ويران شدم٬ سوخته و حيران شدم

  نيمه شب٬ از خواب برخواستم
در عمق رويا٬ تورا مى خواستم

————————————

At the Beach

در كنار ساحل قدم ميزديم

من در آغوش تو
تو در آغوش  من

 ما درآستانه جدايى و بى خبر

با چشمان بازيگوشت
به من لبخند زدى و گفتى كه دوستم ميدارى

 باد صداى تو را بازى داد و برد

 در كنار ساحل
در كنار ساحل

كودكانه فرياد زدى و دويدى
موج  موهايت مثال امواج  دريا  در كنار ساحل

آرزوهايت فراوان بيشمار بى حد
مانند شنهاى ساحل

 لبم را بر لبت گزاردمو
از آتشش دريا خشكيد

ديدم كه ميروى  به اقيانوس فردا به بى فردايى
چهره ات به آرامى حل رويا شد رفتى

ديدم كه ميروى و به تو فرياد زدم

—————————————-

Love Song

ماه تا سحر از غصه پر بود

از رقيبى تازه ميگفت

گوهرى محبوب و زىبا
در دل من آشيان كرد
عشق تو افسانه مى بود
در فضا يى شاعرانه
جرعه آبى در بيابان
برلبان تشنه من
عشق من

عشق اى عزيز من تو بشنو
تو شراب من مستى
تو بتى من بت پرستى
ساقى شعر من هستى

 ماه تا سحر از غصه پر بود
از رقيبى تازه ميگفت

 گوهرى محبوب و زىبا
در دل من آشيان كرد
عشق تو افسانه مى بود
در فضا يى شاعرانه
جرعه آبى در بيابان
برلبان تشنه من
عشق من 

ساقى شعرمن هستى

——————————————

I Want to Go Home 

مى خوام برم به خونه٬ دل مى گيره بهونه
از اون چشاى نازت٬ باز مي گيره نشونه
مى خوام برم به خونه٬ دل مى گيره بهونه
از اون چشاى نازت٬ داره مي گيره نشونه

 منو ببين كه مستم٬ خمارچشمت هستم
ديونه تو هستم٬ غرورمو شكستم
نشسته ام به كوى ت٬ سجده كنان به سوى ت
نگاه تشنه ام را٬ بجر بده ز رويت

 نميشه  دلم تو سينه٬ ديگه آروم بشينه
پر ميكشه بخونه٬ همش با تو بمونه

 منو ببين كه مستم٬ خمارچشمت هستم
ديونه تو هستم٬ غرورمو شكستم
نشسته ام به كوى ت٬ سجده كنان به سوى ت
نگاه تشنه ام را٬ بجر بده ز رويت

مى خوام برم به خونه٬ دل مى گيره بهونه
از اون چشاى نازت باز مي گيره نشونه
مى خوام برم به خونه٬ دل مى گيره بهونه
از اون چشاى نازت داره مي گيره نشونه

منو ببين كه مستم٬ خمارچشمت هستم
ديونه تو هستم٬ غرورمو شكستم
نشسته ام به كوى ت٬ سجده كنان به سوى ت
نگاه تشنه ام را٬ بجر بده ز رويت

مى خوام برم به خونه٬ دل مى گيره بهونه
از اون چشاى نازت باز مي گيره نشونه
مى خوام برم به خونه٬ دل مى گيره بهونه
از اون چشاى نازت داره مي گيره نشونه

منو ببين كه مستم٬ خمارچشمت هستم
ديونه تو هستم٬ غرورمو شكستم
نشسته ام به كوى ت٬ سجده كنان به سوى ت
نگاه تشنه ام را٬ بجر بده ز رويت

 نميشه  دلم تو سينه٬ ديگه آروم بشينه
پر ميكشه بخونه٬ همش با تو بمونه

 منو ببين كه مستم٬ خمارچشمت هستم
ديونه تو هستم٬ غرورمو شكستم
نشسته ام به كوى ت٬ سجده كنان به سوى ت
نگاه تشنه ام را٬ بجر بده ز رويت

———————————-

Aryo Barzan 

شكوه البرز ميده دم جاى

اروند٬ پايدارى

زاگرس٬ قدمت

ايران٬ اصالت