enter yet another new phase on their four-decades plus journey with this, their brand new studio album, and their first since the release of:‘2032’ in 2009!
The current incarnation of GONG comprises vocalist / lyricist Daevid Allen, who, even at the age of seventy-five, still radiates an incandescent creativity, the original anarchic vibe that was born out of counter-culture revolution in the Paris commune in 1968.
His co-conspirators on ‘I See You’ comprise: Orlando Allen (drums), Kavus Torabi (formerly of the CARDIACS and the latest guitar incumbent in a band whose past ranks have included the likes of Steve Hillage and Mark Hewins), Ian East ‘Wind’ (horns), Dave Sturt (the sonic manipulator – sinuous bass propulsion) and Brazilian Fabio Golfetti (who weaves his own lysergic patterns on guitar).
This collective create an impressive, multi-layered and irrepressible sound that creates its own world and then populates it with a series of dazzling musical gems, melodically rich, lyrically engaging and musically refreshed. ‘I See You’ is both timeless and timely – a welcome antidote to an increasingly homogenised musical mainstream. Tracks such as: ‘This Revolution’, a spoken piece which name checks Gil Scott-Heron and picks up on the vibe of his: ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’, and articulates the kind of concerns and theories that have always inspired Daevid Allen and informed the GONG worldview. This contrasts with the ferocious inter-stellar funk of: ‘You See Me’, which is sure to be a ‘live’ favourite.
‘Thank You’ is a heavy slab of Psychedelicised Blues, whilst ‘Shakti Yoni Dingo Virgin’ is a moody, melodic instrumental piece that serves to illustrate the immense musical firepower and musical diversity that lurks within the current line-up of GONG.
Special Guests are Gilli Smyth (Sprinkled Space Whisper) and Mark Robson (keyboards on ‘Thank You’) http://fp.io/c4891219/
