Drawing on influences from Middle Eastern, Native American, African and Eastern European musical traditions, Incus is redefining the American Tribal music movement. The combination of keyboards, accordion, violin, and cello with male and female vocals creates a beautifully haunting soundscape, replete with mesmerizing rhythms capable of inducing trance-like states.
Incus expresses a willingness to embrace the totality of human emotion, both light and dark. An Incus performance is a gathering of people who come together to live and breathe the challenge of being alive, to raise the energy to move toward ecstasy. The element of fire both illuminates and transforms, and it is this energy that Incus embodies while holding space for people to acknowledge the dark and move toward the light.
Incus’ music has moved many a dancer since the band’s formation in the mid-nineties. Indeed, the band’s live act has featured performers of many stripes for years, particularly belly dancers, fire and flag spinners, and shadow dancers, among others. More than just a band, Incus has become an important anchor for a community of creative performers, providing the musical and energetic foundation for creative expression both onstage and in the audience.
Their newest single, “Dancer Through Time,” is set to a video that portrays some of the Incus experience, featuring the band and many other performers. A teaser can be seen on the band’s website. The song is also featured on a recently released DVD as part of the Fantasy Bellydance Series: Desire, produced by World Dance New York. The song accompanies a dance performed by Naraya of Vadalna Tribal Dance Company.
“In both their music and ideology, Incus embraces darkness and embodies light.” --Joe Bonni, The Weekly Dig
This embrace and transcendence of duality extends to the very modes of performance themselves. Incus is equally at home rocking out onstage at clubs and bars “plugged in” and electrified as they are performing in their acoustic power at fire festivals around the country. They have gained appreciative followings from these diverse settings. During the last four summers, Incus toured over 20,000 miles, making music at over 100 fires, and at various festivals and venues.
The current members of the tribe at its core are composer Jason Cohen on vocals, keys, accordion, and percussion; Regan Gibson on drums and percussion, and Chris Baum on violin (Dropkick Murphy’s), and includes a wonderful rotating cast of musicians including: on vocals, Kellianna, Kara Trott (Fluttr Effect), and Katie Quarrier (also on Aerial Silks), Oliver Jacobson (The Human Revolution) on violin, Eric Freeman on Kalimba and percussion (Kalimba Sound System), on bass Michael Rivard (Club D’elf), and Christopher Brown, Eli Carlton-Pearson on Whatar, and with Billy Woods on percussion. The group also enjoys sharing the stage with many of their dancing friends, most of whom are members of Boston’s Valdalna Tribal Dance Co.
Jason Cohen, the visionary force of the band, has experienced numerous healing and expressive arts rituals around the United States, Mexico, and recently, Costa Rica. His knowledge, experience, and training as a ritual facilitator becomes a part of every Incus performance. Jason is also known for his work developing the interfaith spiritual Forestdance Gatherings, which have taken place in 5 US states as well as in Costa Rica. These are powerful transformational ritual gatherings designed to bring people into their full power through sacred fire circles. As the facilitator for these events, Jason is a community organizer, deeply committed to empowering people and communities while doing his best to honor all life on the planet.
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Hey! It's Damon from Set Theory. We are looking for a male or female vocalist in the NY area (we're based in Westchester, NY). If you know of anyone interested, please e-mail me here. We would really appreciate any help!
Our recent songs can be heard on our MySpace page.
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