EARS HAVE EYES // Episode 46
Airing Wednesday, January 13, 2025 at 11 am & 8 pm MST
on CJSW 90.9 FM, NAISA, & Golden Co-Op Radio
NUM:
a radio feature
FEATURING:
Maryam Sirvan & Milad Bagheri
EARS HAVE EYES is a monthly sound art radio program airing on CJSW 90.9 FM in Calgary/Mohkinstsis, Golden Co-op Radio in Golden, BC, and NAISA Radio in South River, Ontario. You can listen to podcasts of previous episodes here.
For the first episode of 2026, we’re shifting our focus to highlight one local duo, NUM. Comprised of sound artists, electroacoustic musicians, and multimedia artists, Maryam Sirvan & Milad Bagheri, NUM originated in Northern Iran. After studying in Georgia, Maryam & Milad moved to Calgary to continue their academic explorations several years ago. At the end of 2025, they released an album called “Seas Coming for Me.” This album was recorded at the National Music Centre with support from Calgary Arts Development.
Our episode follows Maryam & Milad’s journey through sound – music as a resistance, a collaborative life-long action, and a gateway to new worlds. We’re featuring work from their latest album, alongside older work that contextualizes this album.
Thanks to the participating artists and our friends at CJSW, NAISA, and Golden Co-op Radio!
NUM
NUM is an interdisciplinary duo formed by Maryam Sirvan and Milad Bagheri in 2010, originally from northern Iran. Their work spans electroacoustic music, sound art, and multimedia installations. Over the years, they have developed a unique approach to audio-light-visual compositions by integrating digital signal processing and data manipulation. Their artistic practice has taken them to various festivals, art residencies, and exhibitions across West Asia, Europe, and Canada. Since 2021, they have been based in Calgary, where they continue to explore and contribute to the local music community through innovative sound art.
All photos by Mike Tan Photo
Maryam Sirvan, born in 1986, is an Iranian sound artist, vocalist, and composer based in Calgary, Canada. Her work explores innovative territories, seamlessly blending noise, processed voice, and electronics. As a member of the interdisciplinary duo NUM, active for over a decade, Sirvan takes on multiple roles, including composer, sound artist, vocalist, guitarist, and flautist.
In her solo career, she has released three albums on internationally acclaimed labels, including The Committee for Sonic Research (UK) and Past Inside the Present (US). Sirvan’s artistry has been recognized through support, commissions, and collaborations with esteemed organizations such as Deutschlandfunk Kultur (Germany), the Media Arts Committee (Canada), and Arts Commons (Canada).
Milad Bagheri (b. 1984) is an Iranian music technologist, sound artist, and composer based in Calgary, Canada. He holds a Master of Music in Sonic Arts from the University of Calgary (Canada), a Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology from Tbilisi State Conservatory (Republic of Georgia), and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Guilan University (Iran).
Bagheri specializes in designing hybrid interactive sonic art systems that incorporate multidisciplinary elements, reflecting his innovative approach to sound and technology. His work and research have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES), the Radio Lab Prize (Germany) presented by The Wire and the CTM Festival, and the Reza Korourian Award (Iran). He has presented his research on hybrid sonic art performance systems at academic symposiums across Canada, including McGill University and Western University.
Since 2010, Bagheri has also been a member of the interdisciplinary music duo NUM, where he contributes as a producer, composer, sound artist, visual/lighting designer, and sound engineer. With NUM, he has performed and released works internationally, spanning West Asia, Europe, and Canada.
Photos from recording at the National Music Centre, captured by Mike Tan Photo
About Seas Coming for Me:
Doors open into dark waters.
Rooms whisper with shifting shadows.
Words are forgotten.
The body becomes a dead weight, sinking.
Walls breathe the silence
The Time sleeps in corners
The current steals stories from me
This is not a dream
Inspired by Maryam Sirvan’s recurring nightmares of being engulfed by a raging sea, Seas Coming for Me unfolds as an abstract sonic journey through fear, uncertainty, displacement, and the fragile moment of release that follows. In this world, the sea is more than water; it becomes a metaphor for unrest, memory, and the terrifying vastness of the unknown.
Seas Coming for Me was recorded between February and November 2025 across two locations: NUM’s personal studio in Calgary and the National Music Centre’s Studio Bell. The album’s sonic palette emerges from the intersection of historical and contemporary tools, blending early analog instruments with modern digital processes.
A key element in the creation of this work was the use of Studio Bell’s unique collection of historic electronic instruments. These vintage machines brought a distinct texture and presence to the recordings, contrasting and conversing with NUM’s own generative audio engines and software-based audio systems.
Woodwind textures throughout the album were performed by Jeremy Brown, whose contributions include flute, and alto saxophone.
Credits:
Milad Bagheri: Composer, electronics, recording, mixing, mastering, words
Maryam Sirvan: Composer, electronics, recording, voice, words
Jeremy Brown: Woodwinds —alto saxophone, flute
Laura Anzola: Graphic design, artwork
Jason Tawkin (Studio Bell): Recording engineer
Mike Tan: Photography
Special Thanks:
With gratitude to Calgary Arts Development for funding this project.
Heartfelt thanks to Graham Lessard (Studio Bell) for his kindness and support.
Production:
February – November 2025, Calgary, Canada
Created and published by NUM
numduo.com
Thank you to the artists & listeners!
Special thanks to CJSW.
Want to share your sound art on future episodes of EARS HAVE EYES?
Visit this link for more information.
THE HIBERNATION PROJECT 