Sensuous and hypnotic, elegant yet deeply emotional, the music of 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, sought-after American percussionist M.B. Gordy, and the exceptionally expressive Canadian-American violinist Lili Haydn, whose passion and fluid mastery of her instrument enchant in every song.

With original compositions that meld sacred/classical traditions of both East and West with trance-inducing, ancient grooves, the result is at times both stately and rapturous, a sultry and passionate instrumental music that seems to emanate from a profoundly deep wellspring.

“The most sacred prayers in Islam and in Judaism — La ilaha illallah and the Shema – are both affirmations of the oneness of God, that everything is Divine. It is in this spirit of inclusiveness that we dive into the unknown together, making peace through harmony and fluid composition.”

The band based their name Opium Moon – as well as their ethos as a group with members from Iran, Israel, the U.S., and Canada – on a poem by the great Sufi poet Hafiz: “The bird’s favorite songs/You do not hear/For their most flamboyant music takes place/When their wings are stretched/Above the trees/And they are smoking the opium of pure freedom…/I once asked a bird/”How is it that you fly in this gravity/Of darkness?”/She responded,/”Love lifts Me.”