Kamran Rastegar was raised in Iran before moving to the US as a teenager. He studied musical composition and musicology for his BA, and has since kept active as a musician and composer in both rock and experimental noise bands, as well as studying Arabic and Persian music and performance. Having received PhD in comparative literature with a focus on Arabic and Persian literature and cinema from Columbia Unviersity, Rastegar has lived for extended stays in Egypt and Lebanon. His first CD, Chehrehnama was released by Hermes Records (2006), and he has contributed recordings to compilations, as well as writing for theater performances and film soundtracks.