Sacred Balance Debut EP Release and John Kameel Farah Concert January 28, 2012

Montreal/Toronto electro-visionary trip rock band Sacred Balance releases debut EP, and special guest Toronto composer, pianist, electronic musician John Kameel Farah performs rare concert.

Dual-city (Toronto/Montreal) based electro-visionary trip rock band Sacred Balance celebrate the release of their self-titled debut independent EP at Toronto’s El Mocambo (464 Spadina Avenue) on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. The special guest is award winning Toronto composer, pianist, electronic musician John Kameel Farah, as he returns from fall tour dates in Germany; and folk/rock singer-songwriter Carlo Meriano will open the night.

Tickets are $10.00, available in advance online at http://sbrelease.eventbrite.com, or at the door.

Sacred Balance founder Pouya Hamidi (who is based in Montreal) states, “This EP was in the works for a while now, involving many different artists and two different cities. So, I am extremely excited to finally release it to the public and share the event stage with such amazing Toronto performers as the keyboard virtuoso John Farah and talented opener Carlo Meriano.”

The six-song Sacred Balance EP, recorded recently in Montreal's McGill studios, was professionally mixed by Nick Squire and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering in Toronto. The album sleeves are made from recycled material and are hand-painted in a unique fashion, where no sleeve is the same as the other.

The current Sacred Balance member lineup consists of Montreal’s Pouya Hamidi (founder/keyboard/programming), and Toronto’s Chloe Charles (vocals/lyrics), Neil Whitford (guitar), Mackenzie Longpre (drums), Kelly Lefaive (violin) and Andrew Roorda (Bass). For this show, VJ Zum One works along-side the band projecting an improvised video experience, and djembe artist and prominent part of the Toronto Drum Circle movement Tim Gentle sits in as guest musician.

Since forming in 2008, Sacred Balance has performed in many popular Toronto music venues and festivals. The music is electronically intelligent and intense, like Radiohead. Bass heavy, beat heavy, yet locked into a serious sense of human fluidity. Influenced by visionary art like Alex Grey and meant for attentive listening and bodily experience like Massive Attack, it inspires a touch of psychedelia and trip hop.

John Kameel Farah, who is the 2011 recipient of the K. M. Hunter Artist Award for music, and who just released a duo CD with pianist Attila Fias called ‘Pieces of the Earth’ (2011), cuts an impressive and unforgettable figure in solo performance.

With a stage set up that can include piano, harpsichords, synthesizers and laptop computers, Farah’s improvisation is a key working method through which he can combine, juxtapose and transform the musics that interest him most, such as early and Baroque keyboard music, ambient minimalism, electro-acoustics, Middle-Eastern and electronic dance music.
The opener, soulful and melodic singer-songwriter Carlo Meriano describes himself as singing like a sci-fi novel, with a cadence combining barroom spoken-word and black tie pop. With influences that include Elliott Smith and Johnny Cash and having previously opened for Andrew WK, Meriano released his third album (layered with guitar, ukulele, lap steel, violin, banjo and glockenspiel) ‘Sticker Ikebana’ in 2011.

Quotes:

“A musical collective (Sacred Balance) that encompasses an equal mix of electronica, rock, prog, pop, Middle Eastern influences, beautiful vocal harmonies, propulsive drumming, wrapped up beautifully in an energetic brand of music that's undeniably original.” – Lonely Vagabond, 2010, Toronto.

“Celebrated Canadian pianist John Farah has been fusing electronic beats with future jazz and classical composition since 2005. Trip-hop, drum'n'bass and experimental electronica enthusiasts will be floored by Farah's seamless mastery of the myriad sonic layers here...Incomparable.” – Steve Lalla, Hour Magazine, 2009, Montreal.

Official Website: http://www.sacred-balance.com