Sensuous and hypnotic, elegant yet deeply emotional, the music of super-group Opium Moon evokes the mysteries of ancient worlds while remaining thoroughly contemporary. The Los Angeles-based ensemble’s cinematic soundscapes draw upon the virtuosic skills and diverse ethnic backgrounds of its members: Iranian santoor master Hamid Saeidi, innovative Israeli bassist Itai Disraeli, soughtafter American percussionist M.B. Gordy, and the exceptionally expressive Canadian-American violinist Lili Haydn, whose fluid mastery of her instrument enchants in every song.
In five original long-form compositions, the four master players craft a striking sonic chiaroscuro; the dramatic counterpoints of viscerally resonant percussion and driving yet subtle fretless bass carry the music forward with mesmerizing rhythms, while the shimmering delicacy of the santoor—a 100-stringed Persian hammered dulcimer—and the soaring voice of Haydn’s violin (and lilting vocals on two songs) deliver supple melodic contrast. With compositions that meld sacred/classical traditions of both East and West with ancient grooves, the result is at times both stately and rapturous, a sultry and passionate instrumental music that seems to emanate from a profound, even carnal wellspring.
The four musicians of Opium Moon are a global intersection of powerhouse talent who work together with spontaneity and intuition, forging a richly articulated sonic journey that conjures ancestral pasts but uplifts and inspires with contemporary rhythms and rhapsodic melodies, masterfully performed. It’s been quite some time since such a thoroughly engaging album has come my way. Throw yourself into the spirit of Opium Moon and you’ll be lifted by spirit in every imaginable way! www.opiummoon.com
—LLOYD BARDE (LLOYDBARDE.COM)