DUST AND THE MOON | TINNITIST - REVIEW

The pan-cultural world music ensemble preview their upcoming debut LP

by: Darryl Sterdan | August 2026

Rite Of Strings are a new cross-cultural world music ensemble co-directed by Ehsan Matoori and Grammy-winning bassist Edward Perez. Also featuring Eylem Basaldi on violin and Grammy-winning drummer Engin Günaydın, the band create music that moves from Persia to Mediterranean and beyond, blending world music, jazz, modern classical, and contemporary composition. Together, these distinguished artists create a compelling new musical voice.

Dust And The Moon features original compositions by Matoori alongside works by Perez, 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.

“[Perez’s] arrangements bring harmonic depth, structural clarity, and rhythmic flexibility to the group’s music.”

“As both an improviser and composer, [Basaldi] helps connect the music’s traditional references with a modern ensemble language.”

“[Günaydın’s] playing brings rhythmic imagination, sensitivity, and a broad dynamic range, allowing the group to move from delicate chamber textures to expansive, driving passages.”

“[Lumanovski’s] sound adds both technical brilliance and a deeply expressive human voice to the two compositions on which he appears.”

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.