Rostam

Rostam functions as the solo identity of multi-instrumentalist and producer Rostam Batmanglij, whose work consistently merges exploratory sonic textures with sincere emotional closeness. Initial recognition arrived through his contributions to Vampire Weekend, where he produced their 2010 album Contra that reached the summit of the charts and earned a Grammy nomination. Demand for his production expertise quickly grew, allowing fluid integration of pop, rock, and electronic approaches across partnerships that included Carly Rae Jepsen and Charli XCX as well as Hamilton Leithauser and Ra Ra Riot. Listeners encounter the refined production and compositional craft of his introspective 2017 debut Half-Light and 2021's Changephobia through the personal narratives they contain.

Born to Iranian immigrants and brother of filmmaker Zal Batmanglij, Rostam spent his childhood in Washington, D.C. and started creating electronic music at age 14. While pursuing a music degree at Columbia University he joined Vampire Weekend in 2006. Serving as multi-instrumentalist and producer he helped define the band's energetic, word-focused aesthetic. Their second album, 2010's Contra, topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart in the U.S. and received a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Production credits on 2013's Modern Vampires of the City were shared with longtime associate Ariel Rechtshaid.

As Vampire Weekend's varied indie rock attracted listeners and praise, Batmanglij pursued additional projects. The 2009 synth pop collaboration Discovery united him with Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles and also featured Angel Deradoorian. The next year brought work with Kid Cudi and Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino on "All Summer," a track issued by Converse. His earliest solo releases, "Wood" and "Don't Let It Get to You," appeared in 2011. Joint efforts with his brother Zal included the score for the 2011 film Sound of My Voice and a song for 2013's The East. Activity peaked in 2014 when Batmanglij worked with Charli XCX on Sucker and produced "Need Ur Luv" for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]. He produced former Walkmen frontman Hamilton Leithauser's solo debut Black Hours, co-writing two tracks, and composed music for the Kenneth Lonergan play This Is Our Youth. 2015 collaborations featured "Warm Blood" from Carly Rae Jepsen's E-MO-TION, "Water" from Ra Ra Riot's Need Your Light, and sessions with PC Music's A.G. Cook.

After announcing his departure from Vampire Weekend in early 2016, Batmanglij introduced the Rostam name with "EOS" and "Gravity Don't Pull Me." Later that year he reunited with Leithauser for I Had a Dream That You Were Mine and scored Zal's series The OA. Contributions to HAIM's Something to Tell You and Declan McKenna's What Do You Think About the Car? preceded the 2017 release of Rostam's debut album Half-Light, an impressionistic collection shaped by the dual experiences of life as a gay man and child of immigrants. The single "In a River" followed in September. Batmanglij produced Clairo's 2019 debut Immunity and participated in Vampire Weekend's Father of the Bride, which topped the Billboard 200 and won the 2020 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Alongside Rechtshaid and Danielle Haim he co-produced HAIM's 2020 album Women in Music, Pt. III before issuing the October single "Unfold You." That song also appeared on Rostam's second album, June 2021's Changephobia. Exploring the effects of transformations large and small, the record marked a shift away from earlier classical influences toward R&B and jazz elements.