Copenhagen-based DJ and producer PAYDAR is a cult figure on the local scene, known for her exhilarating sets that weave together references from across the SWANA region to create pulsating, inclusive club universes. This November, she releases her new EP “HEYVAN” and invites you to celebrate its release at ALICE. The evening opens with a live set by masterful Iranian France based percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh, while Amar Shah, founder of Among Good People, will be bringing a selection of new PAYDAR merch alongside styles from his own brand, AGP.

With roots in Iran, a Nordic upbringing and an identity that moves freely between cultures, PAYDAR has enriched the local music scene with her energetic and inclusive shows, celebrating individuality, community and diverse identities. The rising Copenhagen-based DJ and producer creates a sound rooted in percussive electronic music, drawing inspiration from sounds and references from across the SWANA region. Rhythm, movement and physical energy are central to her music, which has already taken her everywhere from intimate clubs to Roskilde Festival’s Apollo stage.

PAYDAR’s upcoming EP “HEYVAN” – meaning “animal” in Farsi – explores instinct, movement, control and connection. Drawing on her Iranian cultural heritage, PAYDAR integrates Persian references into her musical universe in a way that feels natural and inseparably connected to electronic music. At the heart of “HEYVAN” is a fascination with what we all carry within us: rhythm, play, curiosity and intuition – and with the ways music can connect us to ourselves and to one another. PAYDAR has already brought the ALICE dancefloor to a boil several times with her shows, and we’re excited to now host her release celebration.

Naghib Shanbehzadeh
Iranian, internationally acclaimed percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh is a rare talent in his field. Now living in France, he has already established himself as a distinctive percussionist of his generation at just 33, and with more than 20 years of experience on stage, he moves effortlessly between different musical worlds. He learned traditional percussion from southern Iran through oral tradition from an early age and has since developed his rhythmic language at the conservatory in Créteil, France. From there, he has forged a distinctive fusion of southern Iranian rhythms, jazz, global roots and experimental music, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.

Shanbehzadeh has collaborated with international names such as Billy Cobham, Manu Codjia and Kian Soltani, as well as his father, master musician Saeid Shanbehzadeh, and has toured the world with rapper Tif. With his powerful energy and distinctive sound, Naghib Shanbehzadeh opens the evening with a live set before PAYDAR.