Opium Moon
Opium Moon | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | New-age music |
| Members |
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| Website | www |
Opium Moon is a new-age musical ensemble based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its members are santurist Hamid Saeidi, violinist Lili Haydn, percussionist MB Gordy and bass guitarist Itai Disraeli.[1] Persian poet Hafez's work influenced its musical improvisation style.
History
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In an interview with San Francisco Classical Voice, Lili Haydn spoke about why she formed Opium Moon with Itai Disraeli:
When Trump got elected, I stopped feeling like words mattered. I got very depressed and rather than speaking about there being peace in the world — inclusion, reconciliation, and compassion — that’s when I created Opium Moon with Itai rather than speaking about it. I needed space because I felt like I’d said everything I had to say, so I turned my attention to Opium Moon and scoring projects.[2]
In 2018, Opium Moon released their eponymous debut album through Be Why Music.[3] Steven Mirken in the Jewish Journal wrote that "Touches of jazz, rock, Middle Eastern and African sounds flit about" in their music, "but it never settles on a specific sound";[1] Priya Pathiyan in Hindustan Times called it "bliss inducing" and "so eclectic, it’s hard to categorise".[4] The album later received the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[5]
Their second album Night + Day (2021) is composed of two song cycles, with six songs each, that model the passage of time in a day.[6][7] Strings magazine praised the group's "silky and sensual" sound in their review of the album, as well as Gordy's "treasure trove" of Middle East percussion and Haydn's electrical violin.[6] Night + Day was nominated for the same award for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in 2022.[8]
Musical style and influences
[edit]The name Opium Moon and the group's "organic" improvisational style are inspired by the work of the Persian poet Hafez.[3]
Three of the group's members are immigrants—from Iran, Israel, and Canada. According to Haydn, the global refugee crisis is an issue that is personally important to each of them; the song "Caravan" from their debut album is inspired by the immigrants they see in the news and through daily life.[3]
Discography
[edit]- Opium Moon (Be Why Music, 2018)
- Night + Day (2021)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mirken, Steven (6 February 2019). "New Age Band Opium Moon Scores Grammy Nomination". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Looseleaf, Victoria (2 February 2021). "Polymath Lili Haydn Bids Sayonara to the Last Four Years". San Francisco Classical Voice. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Boilen, Bob (11 July 2018). "Opium Moon, A Band Of Immigrants, Reflects On The Global Refugee Crisis". NPR. Archived from the original on 30 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ Pathiyan, Priya (7 June 2020). "In world music, collaboration is the new cool!". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ Aridi, Sara; Messman, Lauren (10 February 2019). "2019 Grammy Winners: The Complete List". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ a b Cahill, Greg (15 December 2021). "Opium Moon Explores Atmospheric Arrangements and Sultry Melodies on 'Night + Day'". Strings Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "Itai Disraeli and Opium Moon Release Double Album 'Night + Day'". Bass Magazine. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (3 April 2022). "Grammy awards 2022: list of winners". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.