Knesiyat Hasekhel

Infobox musical artist
Name = Knesiyat Hasekhel (כנסיית השכל)


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Origin = flagicon|Israel Sderot, Israel
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Genre = Rock
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Years_active = 1989 - present
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Current_members = Yoram Hazan
Ran Elmaliach
Mike Golan
David Rasad
Daniel Royzwig
Past_members = Yuval Shaprir, Motti Yosef

Knesiyat Hasekhel (Church of the Mind) is a rock band from Sderot, Israel.

Their name is a translation into Hebrew of "Church of Reason", from Robert Pirsig's book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

The band has existed since the early 1990s, and has been one of Sderot's many musical messengers (along with Teapacks and Sfataim).

One of its best-publicized efforts was a collaboration with Zehava Ben.

Named for Robert M. Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", the Church of Reason was founded in the early '90s in the western part of Israel's Negev Desert. Blending "new wave" influences (particularly Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ethnic rock, the band soon realized they had outgrown the rural desert, and by 1992 the band had moved to Israel's cultural center Tel Aviv to establish themselves as a national touring act, and begin production on their first studio album "whispered words" (nanadisk).Their second full length and self-titled album "church of reason" (levantini) was released in 1999 to great critical acclaim, and commercial success. The band is named "best rock group of '99" by Israel's national radio station, and is invited to play all the major rock festivals and events around the country.In 2001 Mashina's Shlomi Bracha joins production of the band's 3rd album "run child" (NMC), a studio album that was recorded live so as to deliver the new sound the band was looking for. Following the release of the album, the band joins Ehud Banai on the road, for a collaboration that continues to this day.Their 4th album "hands up" (NMC) was released in 2004, and was produced for the first time by the band themselves.In 2007 the band teamed up with a young new label to produce an ambitious project dubbed "Autobiography" (barbi records): re-recording their classic hits from the last two decades accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra comprised of ethnic and traditional classical instruments. The live show that followed was produced specially for the prestigious national "Israel Festival" of '07, and due to great popular demand the band then took the entire production (orchestra and all) on the road for sold out shows in such esteemed venues as the ancient Roman Amphitheater in Cesaria, the Amphitheater in Ra'anana and Tel Aviv's grand Frederic R. Mann Auditorium.

Discography"whisper words" (nanadisk) – 1993"here are songs" (hed artzi) – 1994 E.P."church of reason" (levantini) – 1999"run child" (NMC) – 2001"hands up" (NMC) – 2004"autobiography" (barbi records) – 2007