BENHUR
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Music
Press
BENHUR [sic] is from Toronto and have a 7-song EP entitled Between Flower and Hive coming out on June 25. Any parallels with the recent Cleveland kidnappings are totally coincidental. This video was shot months ago. - Alan Cross
The songs are market ready and each has hit potential... - David Torrey, legendary producer and Mastering guru, Phil Colins, Dépêche Mode
As lush and rich of a sound as I’ve ever heard. - Michael Brown, 94.9 CHRW Radio personality
As lush and rich of a sound as I’ve ever heard. - Michael Brown, 94.9 CHRW Radio personality
“A genuine ‘up-and-coming’ band - 89.5 CIUT Radio personality
They work harder than any other artist I've known. - PSD Productions
They work harder than any other artist I've known. - PSD Productions
’Benhur’ is one of the coolest band names I’ve every heard. - George Stroumboulopoulos
’Benhur’ is one of the coolest band names I’ve every heard. - George Stroumboulopoulos
"They have created a sound that is unique yet familiar." - Indie Zone Magazine
Benhur’s songs might seem like radio-ready alternative rock, but beneath the surface there’s some rich and highly-textural things going on. It’s a sound that one wouldn’t expect from a band with but a single EP under their collective belt (2009’s Tryst).
Benhur began in Toronto when frontman and main songwriter Ben Nissan finished law school and decided that working 80-hour weeks at a Bay St. law firm might not be what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Nissan confesses that he tried practicing law, but at work, making music was always on his mind.
So Nissan put away the suits, rounded up some likeminded musicians (Danilo Baracho on bass, Steve Frize on lead guitar, and Mateus Macedo on drums) and started writing. The EP had play on some commercial radio stations as well as overseas radio and the band complemented the coverage by playing at a number of Toronto’s best-known clubs. The band recently re-entered the studio and is writing a handful of songs to release as singles. This summer, they’re hoping to play some of the many great music festivals happening across the country. Fans of U2 and Coldplay should be sure not to miss the chance to see them if they make it through their town. - Canadian Musician Magazine (May/June 2011 Issue)
Benhur's songs might seem like radio-ready alternative rock, but beneath the surface there's some rich and highly-textural things going on. It's a sound that one wouldn't expect trom a band with but a single EP under their collective belt (2009s Tryst).
Benhur began in Toronto when frontman and main songwriter Ben Nissan finished law school and decided that working 80-hour weeks at a Bay St. law firm might not be what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Nissan confesses that he tried practicing law, but at work, making music was always on his mind.
So Nissan put away the suits, rounded up some likemmded musicians (Danilo Baracho on bass, Steve Frize on lead guitar, and Mateus Macedo on drums) and started writing. The EP had play on some commercial radio stations as well as overseas radio and the band complemented the coverage by playing at a number of Toronto's best-known clubs. The band recently re-entered the studio and is writing a handful of songs to release as singles. This summer, they're hoping to play some of the many great music festivals happening across the country. Fans of U2 and Coldplay should be sure not to miss the chance to see them if they make it through their town. - Ben Conoley
Benhur's songs might seem like radio-ready alternative rock, but beneath the surface there's some rich and highly-textural things going on. It's a sound that one wouldn't expect trom a band with but a single EP under their collective belt (2009s Tryst).
Benhur began in Toronto when frontman and main songwriter Ben Nissan finished law school and decided that working 80-hour weeks at a Bay St. law firm might not be what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Nissan confesses that he tried practicing law, but at work, making music was always on his mind.
So Nissan put away the suits, rounded up some likemmded musicians (Danilo Baracho on bass, Steve Frize on lead guitar, and Mateus Macedo on drums) and started writing. The EP had play on some commercial radio stations as well as overseas radio and the band complemented the coverage by playing at a number of Toronto's best-known clubs. The band recently re-entered the studio and is writing a handful of songs to release as singles. This summer, they're hoping to play some of the many great music festivals happening across the country. Fans of U2 and Coldplay should be sure not to miss the chance to see them if they make it through their town. - Ben Conoley
Benhur brought 4 pedals with them to cover Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine. They were really aiming for that psychadelic feel and I think they nailed it. This band consists of a couple brooding Brazilian men "Wonderbread" Steve and lead singer Ben. The play all over Toronto so make sure you check out their website for tour updates. They recently recorded an EP at The Chalet (Rush's favorite studio) among other places. Definitely worth checking out! - Q107
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
The biggest compliment Ben Nissan has received on the music he has created for the new Benhur album, Between Flower and Hive, is that it sounds so different from music currently in vogue in clubs and on radio.
Nissan, the band's musical architect and inspiration, has created a unique musical de tour force with Benhur, as the band combines a seemingly incongruous blend of styles to form a brilliant and eminently memorable auditory experience. Benhur's songs meld sensitive, acoustic-based singer/songwriter lyrics and melodies and hard rocking guitars with a dynamic, hip-shaking Latin beat creating a distinctive musical entity that is being embraced by fans of all genres.
The seven tracks on Between Flower and Hive, while representing a broad range of moods and modes of expression, are brought together into a cohesive whole thanks to the poignant depth of Nissan's lyrics and the remarkable musicianship of his bandmates: guitarist Steve Frise, drummer Mateus Macedo and Danilo Baracho on bass.
In 2008 Nissan self-produced an album called Tryst. It was his first foray into the music business, after building a career as a lawyer. But unsatisfied with this first attempt, he spent the next few years looking for both musical inspiration, and the right musicians with which to collaborate. The arduous process paid off as the three men brought in to Benhur are not only sublimely capable players but human beings of superior quality, both of which has created a special spirit amongst the quartet.
"We have a very close friendship, and I really think that helps the band because everyone is invested emotionally. I think the emotional connection between musicians is crucial to the success of a band," said Nissan, who remarked on how each band member is decidedly unique.
"Mateus is a technically proficient drummer. He has amazing timing but also great feel. Danilo is very passionate, the heart of the band. He just loves life, loves everyone and is very creative. And Steve is a combination of the two: he's super creative, super technical and one of the best guitarists I have come across in Toronto. They each have these very different personalities that blend together beautifully,"
said Nissan.
"Steve has played heavy guitar all his life, so he brings the distortion and power to the band a really heavy rock element. Mateus and Danilo grew up in Brazil, and bring this funky, groovy, reggae thing to the band, which is amazing considering they are the rhythm section. And I lean towards writing somewhat somber, acoustic-driven, singer/songwriter style songs. Combine all that, and it becomes this thing that sounds really cool and certainly different than a lot of what you hear these days."
The songs on Between Flower and Hive were written by Nissan, and then interpreted by the rest of the band. What results is an album that features a startling variety of moods, but also a remarkable thematic consistency, especially lyrically.
"We wanted songs that are really positive, that are about enjoying life, appreciating life. And for me, it's about thinking about life. Have you really thought about this thing, this crazy thing called life? That's how I approached it," Nissan said.
"The song Along the Way is about being musicians and about being along the way to something you're dreaming about, and trying to accomplish. I write a lot about music itself. If you're a musician and lyricist you're writing about things that are very important to you, and hopefully music is really important to you.
Nissan and Benhur decided that they also wanted to work with a top producer and in a first-rate studio. Respected veteran engineer/producer Ian Bodzasi, who has worked with Sam Roberts, The Tea Party, Sum 41 and Nelly Furtado among others, has been able to make the band sound tight on record, but without compromising any of the energy, passion and dynamism that typifies Benhur's live shows."We wanted to go into a big studio and Ian had been the head engineer at Metalworks for a number of years before going freelance. He knew the studio really well. And he loves to capture what a band actually sounds like. He wants the recording to be as authentic as it can be. And I think he has done an amazing job. What you hear on the album is close to what you hear when you see us live."
Nissan also good-naturedly addresses an issue that will no doubt arise as the band's pop
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