Aria Khalil

Aria Khalil is a composer & sound artist who entered the world of radio in Afghanistan at the age of fourteen as a broadcast technician with a fascination for frequency, noise, & sonic memory. Over the years, he has built extensive sound archives, recorded instruments & collected field recordings across the region, later blending it with electro, psychedelic & experimental compositions.

In Afghanistan, Khalil documented the emerging rap scenes of Kabul & Herat, preserving a generation of independent voices & underground music. He also created 259000, a daily radio program dedicated to youth culture & artistic expression. Despite repeated threats, it continued broadcasting until its eventual closure.

In 2016, Khalil co-founded Jomehgi with Masoud Hassanzadeh reinterpreting works by legendary Afghan musicians such as Sarban & Ahmad Zahir. The project led to performances in Kabul & Herat, bringing new life to Afghanistan’s musical heritage. Their final performance took place at Café Mina in Pul-e-Surkh, Kabul - a venue that has since disappeared.

Today, his work unfolds as a dark, hypnotic journey through industrial rhythms, heavy basslines, archival recordings, & forgotten native sounds, reimagining the region’s sonic identity in a contemporary, borderless form.