ECM debut for a young German band - a quartet led by the charismatic vocalist and writer Cymin - that is already making waves internationally.

The young Berlin-based group, Cyminology, was founded by Cymin Samawatie, a singer of Iranian descent, in 2002 . Her quartet with Indian drummer Ketan Bhatti, French-born pianist Benedikt Jahnel and German bassist Ralf Schwarz - performs a unique intercultural chamber jazz, by turns poetic, sensual, melancholic, dynamic and pulsating. Cymin is both a charismatic leader and writer of most of the material; she writes texts in Farsi (Persian) and sets them to her own music, often developed through improvising. She also sings classic Sufi texts from Rumi and Hafez, masters of Persian poetry, and 20th verse of Iranian proto-feminist Farough Farrokhzãd. The sound and melody of the language itself establishes a direction and atmosphere, creatively explored by the musicians. Also contributing material is Benedikt Jahnel, acknowledged as one of the outstanding German pianists of his generation. The album was produced by Manfred Eicher at Oslo's Rainbow Studio.