Formed out of musical friendships, jam sessions at festivals and backyards in the northern suburbs, Samassin came together in 2013. Our sound is a unique blend of the following instrumentation:

•Middle Eastern percussion/guitars/mandola (Daniel Hoban)
•Bass Clarinet/Clarinet (Justin Lim)
•Nylon string guitar and vocals (Kirsty Pittman)
•Violin (Claire Johnstone)
•Flute/Alto Flute (Volkan Susüzer )

Our music is inspired by the contrasts of nature: light and dark, day and night, the mortal and the eternal. The band’s name, Samassin was derived from the ancient Akkadian words for the Mesopotamian deities of the Sun (Šamaš) and the Moon (Sîn).


Performing at Trödler Bar in Kreutzberg, Berlin. July 2015.

We have a shared love for the odd time signatures that feature in traditional Balkan/Turkish/Arabic folk music as well as the Arabic jazz of Oud maestros such as Anouar Brahem, Rabih Abou-Khalil, and Le Trio Joubran. Kirsty’s enigmatic compositions for the album draw on the traditional rhythmic ideas from the Middle East and Turkey.

The band began playing the intimate venues of Northern Melbourne with its thriving World Music scene as well as bigger events such as the Queen Victoria Night Markets and regional festivals around Australia. At the turn of the year, Claire Johnstone joined the band on violin, succeeding Volkan Susüzer on flute. Although no longer a current band member, Volkan guest features on the album and performed with us on the Turkish leg of our recent tour.


Album recording with Tomas Strode. May 2015.


In May 2015, we recorded our album at Tomas Strodes’ studios which are tucked down a cute Fitzroy lane-way. The album consists of six instrumentals, one song being the title track “Golden Muse” (an Ode to Music personified) and one cover track - the exhilarating “Arabian Waltz” by Rabih Abou–Khalil.

During the recordings, the lush blend of our instruments were augmented by the following very special guests:

•our Turkish delight, Volkan Susüzer on Flute
•the golden tones of Aurora Darby on Vocals
•the nifty work of Patrick Lyons on Double Bass.

The sessions were recorded live in the studio to capture the energies of the music in performance.Tomas provided the mixing of the album, expertly keeping it as raw as possible. Myles Mumford then stepped in and mastered the 8 tracks.

Have a listen to two excerpts of the tracks here - Enjoy!


Album recorded, we then had the tremendous fortune to take our music to the bars and streets ofIstanbul and Berlin!! We drew fantastic audiences at the gigs and busking on the streets. Our Turkish and German audiences were warm and generous, appreciating our unique western take on odd metres and eastern modes.


  Gitar Cafe gig in Kadiköy, Istanbul

After the Gitar Cafe gig in Kadiköy, Istanbul




Busking in Kadiköy, Istanbul.


Busking in Tünel, Istanbul.


Jamming in Tünel, Istanbul.


Havelgut in Kladower Damm, Berlin.