Alternative rock with a heavy electronic and industrial feel, Toronto’s own Awaking State is a band which has been compared directly with such industry leaders as Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park and Tool. Headed by Kent Martell, a front man with an unmistakable energy and presence when on stage, Awaking State has managed to put together the kind of live show usually associated with bands with major label backing.
Awaking State is a band racking up an impressive resume. In 2009 they played the Cutting Edge Music Festival for the second time, where they shared a stage with some of today’s big names, such as The Roots, Bedouin Soundclash, Protest The Hero, Andrew WK, Ill Scarlett.
Awaking State, with their “unique blend of industrial, alt rock, electronic and drums’n’bass that seems to dominate the stage every time they play” (Corina Newby, http://www.supernova.com/) has managed to attract the attention of industry titans, including grammy award winning producer Sylvia Massy, whose credits include such iconic names as Johnny Cash, Tool, System of a Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith and Prince. Sylvia jumped at the chance to work with the band after first hearing them, and she has been working with them since 2008 when she helped produce their five track EP “Into the Machine”. Awaking State front man Kent Martell even had a chance to sit down with Trent Reznor, an honour he earned by making waves with his own remix of Nine Inch Nails in a contest held by 102.1 The Edge and Universal Records.
Most importantly of all, Awaking State has brought together a loyal following of fans which come out to see their shows, rain or shine. Such dedication comes as little surprise when you read reviews of their live show, which have been described as an “intense audio/visual experience” and “darkly energetic alternative rock ….. dominated by an electronic edge, reminiscent of the sounds created by Nine Inch Nails and Econoline Crush.” More than anything, though, Awaking State is a living, ever evolving project, teaming up with internationally recognized artists like Subsonik (USA) and Antiform (NZ) and striking up partnerships with forward thinking companies like ONECondoms. The band is as much as a studio project as it is a live act, using the best musicians to make every show their best, while encouraging their fans to take their music and make it their own by fully supporting the remixing community and allowing their music to be used in new and creative ways.
AWAKING STATE WILL BE PLAYING FRIDAY NIGHT AT CENTER STAGE CAMP
