An extraordinary international ensemble of GRAMMY® Award-winning and globally recognized musicians uniting distinctive voices in contemporary global, jazz, and Persian music.
—Bright Shiny Things
Bright Shiny Things proudly announces the release of Dust and the Moon, the debut album by Rite of Strings, an international ensemble featuring Iranian-American composer and santoor virtuoso Ehsan Matoori, GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist and composer Edward Perez, GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer Engin Kaan Günaydın, acclaimed violinist and composer Eylem Basaldi, and internationally celebrated clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski, who appears as a special guest.
Together, these distinguished artists create a compelling new musical voice, weaving Persian musical traditions with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences, jazz, chamber music, groove, and improvisation. Dust and the Moon (BSTD-0252) features original compositions by Ehsan Matoori alongside works by Edward Perez, Eylem Basaldi, and Erik Satie. The result is a deeply collaborative recording that moves effortlessly between lyrical intimacy, cinematic atmosphere, rhythmic vitality, and spontaneous musical conversation—music that feels both ancient and contemporary, rooted in tradition while speaking with a distinctly modern voice.
Dust and the Moon reflects the shared artistic vision of co-directors Ehsan Matoori and Edward Perez, bringing together globally acclaimed musicians whose diverse backgrounds converge in a contemporary musical language. The album was recorded on May 13 and 14, 2026, at Pinch Recording in Long Island City, New York, a studio renowned for its exceptional acoustics and world-class listening environment designed by Wes Lachot. It was engineered by E. Scott Lindner and mastered by Camilo Kratz at Soundworks Recording Studio LLC.
Rite of Strings is built around the unusual combination of santoor, violin, bass, and drums. Each musician brings a distinct cultural background, compositional voice, and approach to improvisation, allowing the ensemble to move naturally between written material, spontaneous interaction, and contemporary chamber music.
Ehsan Matoori is an Iranian-American santoor player, composer, producer, and co-director of the ensemble. His work draws from Iranian musical traditions while creating new contexts for cross-cultural collaboration, storytelling, and contemporary composition. He is a recipient of support from New Music USA and has developed and presented projects including Voices Unveiled, Fountain of Eternity, and A Place to Breathe.
Edward Perez is the ensemble’s bassist, composer, arranger, and co-director. A Grammy Award-winning and multiple Grammy-nominated musician, he has worked across jazz, contemporary classical, Latin American, and global music traditions, including performances and collaborations connected to the Silkroad Ensemble. His arrangements bring harmonic depth, structural clarity, and rhythmic flexibility to the group’s music. Eylem Basaldi is a violinist and composer whose playing reflects Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and contemporary chamber music influences. Her sound brings lyricism, emotional intensity, and a strong melodic identity to the ensemble. As both an improviser and composer, she helps connect the music’s traditional references with a modern ensemble language. Engin Kaan Günaydın is a drummer and composer known for his work across jazz, improvisation, and contemporary global music. A Grammy Award-winningmusician, he has performed internationally and collaborated with artists including Arooj Aftab. His playing brings rhythmic imagination, sensitivity, and a broad dynamic range, allowing the group to move from delicate chamber textures to expansive, driving passages. Ismail Lumanovski, featured on clarinet on “Qeshm” and “Xur,” is an internationally recognized clarinetist known for his virtuosity and his ability to move between classical, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and contemporary musical traditions. His sound adds both technical brilliance and a deeply expressive human voice to the two compositions on which he appears.
Together, the musicians do not approach the project as representatives of separate traditions placed side by side. Instead, they create a shared musical language shaped by listening, trust, and the individual identities of the ensemble.
Dust and the Moon will be released worldwide on August 28, 2026, via Bright Shiny Things, followed by the official album launch concert at Joe's Pub in New York on September 30, 2026. https://orcd.co/dustandthemoon
Together, these distinguished artists create a compelling new musical voice, weaving Persian musical traditions with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences, jazz, chamber music, groove, and improvisation. Dust and the Moon (BSTD-0252) features original compositions by Ehsan Matoori alongside works by Edward Perez, Eylem Basaldi, and Erik Satie. The result is a deeply collaborative recording that moves effortlessly between lyrical intimacy, cinematic atmosphere, rhythmic vitality, and spontaneous musical conversation—music that feels both ancient and contemporary, rooted in tradition while speaking with a distinctly modern voice.
Dust and the Moon reflects the shared artistic vision of co-directors Ehsan Matoori and Edward Perez, bringing together globally acclaimed musicians whose diverse backgrounds converge in a contemporary musical language. The album was recorded on May 13 and 14, 2026, at Pinch Recording in Long Island City, New York, a studio renowned for its exceptional acoustics and world-class listening environment designed by Wes Lachot. It was engineered by E. Scott Lindner and mastered by Camilo Kratz at Soundworks Recording Studio LLC.
Rite of Strings is built around the unusual combination of santoor, violin, bass, and drums. Each musician brings a distinct cultural background, compositional voice, and approach to improvisation, allowing the ensemble to move naturally between written material, spontaneous interaction, and contemporary chamber music.
Ehsan Matoori is an Iranian-American santoor player, composer, producer, and co-director of the ensemble. His work draws from Iranian musical traditions while creating new contexts for cross-cultural collaboration, storytelling, and contemporary composition. He is a recipient of support from New Music USA and has developed and presented projects including Voices Unveiled, Fountain of Eternity, and A Place to Breathe.
Edward Perez is the ensemble’s bassist, composer, arranger, and co-director. A Grammy Award-winning and multiple Grammy-nominated musician, he has worked across jazz, contemporary classical, Latin American, and global music traditions, including performances and collaborations connected to the Silkroad Ensemble. His arrangements bring harmonic depth, structural clarity, and rhythmic flexibility to the group’s music. Eylem Basaldi is a violinist and composer whose playing reflects Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and contemporary chamber music influences. Her sound brings lyricism, emotional intensity, and a strong melodic identity to the ensemble. As both an improviser and composer, she helps connect the music’s traditional references with a modern ensemble language. Engin Kaan Günaydın is a drummer and composer known for his work across jazz, improvisation, and contemporary global music. A Grammy Award-winningmusician, he has performed internationally and collaborated with artists including Arooj Aftab. His playing brings rhythmic imagination, sensitivity, and a broad dynamic range, allowing the group to move from delicate chamber textures to expansive, driving passages. Ismail Lumanovski, featured on clarinet on “Qeshm” and “Xur,” is an internationally recognized clarinetist known for his virtuosity and his ability to move between classical, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and contemporary musical traditions. His sound adds both technical brilliance and a deeply expressive human voice to the two compositions on which he appears.
Together, the musicians do not approach the project as representatives of separate traditions placed side by side. Instead, they create a shared musical language shaped by listening, trust, and the individual identities of the ensemble.
Dust and the Moon will be released worldwide on August 28, 2026, via Bright Shiny Things, followed by the official album launch concert at Joe's Pub in New York on September 30, 2026. https://orcd.co/dustandthemoon
For more information contact Vivo Musique Internationale.
