Showing posts with label Daevid Allen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daevid Allen. Show all posts

4/13/2022

Vanderwolf Releases New Single With Contributions from Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen & Terry Edwards

Vanderwolf has released his new single, leading with the A side “When The Fire Grows Cold”, a piano-led cinematic nightmare-lullaby co-sung by the legendary musician-activist, Robert Wyatt. The B side is “Extinction!”, a 7-minute Balkan-brass psychedelic fantasy featuring the late, great Daevid Allen’s glissando guitar solo and the wonderful Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey, Lydia Lunch, Tindersticks) on saxophone. These two epic tracks capture the polarities of Vanderwolf’s vision: one song precise and quietly disturbing and one sprawling and transcendent.

As well as being a musician with a long and storied history (most notably as vocalist with semi-legendary London band Last Man Standing, whose sole album in 2007 received plaudits from Mojo and Uncut), Max Vanderwolf has a hugely successful career as a music programmer and concert producer, working for some of the worlds’ most celebrated clubs and concert venues. These include New York’s legendary Knitting Factory and London’s internationally-renowned Royal Festival Hall, where for 9 years he produced the Meltdown Festival working closely with David Bowie, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker, Massive Attack and Ornette Coleman. It was while working on Meltdown that Vanderwolf forged his friendship with Robert Wyatt.

Explains Vanderwolf: “I had produced a tribute to Wyatt in NYC many years ago. Fred Frith, Peter Blegvad, Hugh Hopper and many others appeared. Robert gave it his official nod of support. When I moved to London to produce my first Meltdown Festival, Robert seemed the obvious choice to curate it, and from that, a lovely friendship evolved. Of course it was daunting asking him to sing something I’d written. I know he gets a lot of proposals of which he turns down nearly all. But happily, he said yes. He said he thought he could sing this set of lyrics— and commented about the possibility of singing about his father. It was a huge relief to me.”

“When The Fire Grows Cold”, which features co-producer Sam Sallon on piano, is lifted by what Wyatt referred to as a “peasant-chorus”. Award-winning video director Alden Volney also depicted the “peasant chorus” in the accompanying video for the song.

Watch the video for “When the Fire Grows Cold” featuring Robert Wyatt: https://youtu.be/d6PCQlhZdTA

Alden Volney is a French Video Maker, Director, Animator and Composer from Normandy. He has directed many music videos - both animated & live-action for artists such as Nicolas Godin, Villagers, Bobby Womack, Lisa Hannigan, Temples, Iggy Pop, Jamie XX to cite a few. In 2017 The Cubitt art gallery in London hosted his first video installation, “Broadcaste” funded by Fluxus. He’s currently making the jump to storytelling, working on a feature length animated film.

The single’s B-side “Extinction!” is a dark ritualistic journey drawing on Balkan brass, African drumming, electronic analogue Trance elements, crunching metallic guitars and with guest appearances from the late legendary guitarist Daevid Allen of Soft Machine and Gong and saxophonist Terry Edwards (Tindersticks, PJ Harvey, Lydia Lunch).

The idea of these tracks being paired is partially due to the thematic link of the lyrics: the folly of human progress that has brought us to the very brink of our own mass extinction. But it is also a linkage between Wyatt and Allen who met as kids in Canterbury England when Daevid Allen became a border in the Wyatt household at the age of 16. He had been shipped off by his family to England because he was too effeminate and too artistically-inclined for the rugged testosterone-driven culture of Australia in the early 1960s. “Allen showed up with Charlie Parker albums under his arm and from their mutual love of bebop a creative partnership was formed. We tried to reflect that love for jazz in the album artwork and the music itself.”

Together those two kids would, along with Kevin Ayers and Mike Ratledge, form the Soft Machine who became the soundtrack for the swinging psychedelic 60s. Regulars at the UFO club and the Roundhouse playing on bills with their contemporaries, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd.

A new album from Vanderwolf will be released this summer.

Tracklist:
A: When The Fire Grows Cold Feat. Robert Wyatt
B: Extinction!

Vanderwolf - Biography
Max Vanderwolf has recorded more than 11 albums under his own name and as part of various bands. Many more went unreleased. Some evanesced from the catalogues of fledgling independent labels. Under his name, or various pseudonyms, he has also appeared on festival bills performing with various other musicians’ projects, his own bands and small orchestras.

While this isn’t unusual for a busy musician, what is unique is that concurrent to this activity, Vanderwolf lived under an assumed name, spending most of his daytime hours working as ‘Glenn Max’ as a music programmer and concert producer, including overseeing London’s legendary Royal Festival Hall. There, for 9 years he produced the Meltdown Festival working closely with David Bowie, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker, Massive Attack and Ornette Coleman.

Vanderwolf then shifted over to East London’s underground music scene finding a home at the notorious Village Underground where he established a stronghold for his unique curatorial visions while producing concerts in Brooklyn, Rome and Paris for such notable artists as John Cale, Sparks and the Residents.

The demands of his work-life were not without their rewards, but they came as a detriment to his life as a musician and bandleader. He had to turn down offers of tours, and support slots due to his heavy work-schedule. Entire finished albums would get regularly shelved or went unmixed and unreleased. Bands would disintegrate after periods of inactivity.

Amongst his bands, Last Man Standing made the biggest impact. Emerging from the infamous Soho drinking den, The Colony Room and fueled by alcohol, the YBA movement and the notorious Lost Vagueness parties in south London, the band were soon playing the full array of UK festivals with their incendiary live show. Their sole album, “False Starts and Broken Promises”, earned 4 and 5-star reviews from Mojo, Uncut and others with favorable comparisons to Bowie, Alex Harvey, Tom Waits, Steely Dan and Lou Reed.

Despite encouragement from friends and fellow musicians, Vanderwolf always shrugged off releasing a follow-up album. Yet he continued to record. So what changed?

“It’s been full-on…I’ve been writing and recording steadily but releasing music hasn't been a priority. My work was full-on and I’d not been able to achieve the things I did if I went on tour to promote an album. But with the global pandemic, I had all this space and a burst in productivity. And I also felt a bit retrospective so now it’s time for this music to show itself to the world.”

A new period of studio activity, writing, recordings and remixing tracks was overseen by Sam Sallon and David Watson and produced a wealth of new tracks all of which will be seeing the light of day in Vanderwolf’s new album, due this summer.

Vanderwolf & the Last Man Standing Ensemble:
Max Vanderwolf - Vocals
Sam Sallon - Keyboards
Chris Wyles  - Drums
Chris Cordoba - Guitar
Will Muldrew - Bass
with
Daevid Allan - Glissando Guitar
Terry Edwards - Sax
Ed Rieband - Trombone
Nick Etwell - Trumpet
Afla Sackey - Percussion
Spoken vocals - Pablo Farba & a Serbian Uber Driver

To purchase “Extinction” - 2 song single: https://lnk.to/Extinction

For more information:
Official website: www.vanderwolfmusic.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5VCMMZZYJ0QKriJy07ZJCg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanderwolfmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanderwolfmusic/
Promotional materials: https://www.vanderwolfpromo.com/
Soundcloud link to album, “12 Little Killers”:
https://soundcloud.com/last-man-standing-london/sets/12-little-killers?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

9/20/2021

Gong “Live At The Gong Family Unconventional Gathering” 15th Anniversary DVD Reissue and First Time Release on DBL CD!

The classic line-up performing together for the first time in 31 years!

The Gong Family Unconvention at the Melkweg club in Amsterdam in November 2006 was a unique 3-day event in which all the surviving original members of this legendary psychedelic band came together and, after performing their own individual sets, performed once again as Gong. This climactic and joyful 2hr 16min Gong live set was beautifully captured for this DVD video and for the first time CD audio recording! This was the last time that Gong played with the full “classic” line-up (minus just Pierre Moerlen on drums, who died the year before).

The line-up for this unique and special performance:

Daevid Allen - Guitar, Voice
Gilli Smyth - Voice, Space Whisper
Steve Hillage - Guitar
Didier Malherbe - Flute, Soprano Sax, Duduk
Theo Travis - Tenor Sax
Tim Blake - Synthesiser, Voice
Miquette Giraudy - Synthesiser
Mike Howlett - Bass
Chris Taylor - Drums

Watch the promotional video: 

Tracklist:
1. You Can’t Kill Me (from the album ‘Camembert Electrique’)
2. Radio Gnome Invisible (from the album ‘Flying Teapot')
3. Tomorrow Afternoon (I Am Your Fantasy) (from ‘Camembert Electrique’)
4. Dynamite / I Am Your Animal (from ‘Camembert Electrique’)
5. Flute Salad (from the album ‘Angel’s Egg’)
6. Oily Way (from ‘Angel’s Egg’)  
7. Outer Temple (from ‘Angel’s Egg’)
8. Inner Temple (from ‘Angel’s Egg’)
9. Zero The Hero and the Witch’s Spell (from ‘Flying Teapot’)
10. I Am Your Pussy (from ‘Flying Teapot’)
11. Tropical Fish (from ‘Camembert Electrique’)
12. Selene (from ‘Camembert Electrique’)
13. I Never Glid Before (from ‘Angel’s Egg’)
14. Prostitute Poem (from ‘Angel’s Egg’)
15. Magdalene (from the album ‘Zero To Infinity’)
16. A Sprinkling of Clouds (from the album ‘You’)
17. She Is the Great Goddess (Magick Mother Invocation) (from ‘You’)
18. Master Builder (from ‘You’)
18. The Isle of Everywhere (from ‘You’)
18. You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever (from ‘You’)

Release date on Fri Nov 5th – the 15th Anniversary of the Gong performance.

Released by G-Wave Records through UK distributors SRD. Digital release via Ingrooves (North and South America) and Orchard (UK & rest of world).

DVD: AAGWDVD005
DBL CD: AAGWCD005

To pre-order: planetgong.co.uk

For more information:
http://facebook.com/gong2032
http://planetgong.co.uk

Press Inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

1/15/2021

The “Daevid Allen Family Trust” (D.A.F.T) Preserves Daevid Allen’s Legacy of Poetry, Music & Hand Drawn Illustrations - Come and Be Daft!

In 2015 Gong legend Daevid Allen sadly passed away at the age of 77. He is survived by his four sons Toby, Orlando, Tali, & Ynys. Prior to his passing Daevid set up the “Daevid Allen Family Trust” or D.A.F.T. for short for his children. The aim and focus with D.A.F.T. is to preserve Daevid’s legacy of Poetry, Music & Hand Drawn Illustrations for the fans and future generations in one place.

And now we are happy to announce that 2021 is the year to be D.A.F.T!

First of all, the web store .... is now open selling a wide selection of official D.A.F.T. merchandise and music.

Secondly, we are also happy to announce that there will be a box set coming soon called “Deya Dreaming” which is a collection of unreleased music from Daevid’s time in Deia, Mallorca.

2021 promises to be a busy year with a lot more stuff to come!

Daevid Allen, who sometimes was credited as Divided Alien, Captain Capricorn and Dingo Virgin, was an Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer and performance artist. He was co-founder of legendary music groups Soft Machine and Gong. He left Gong in 1975 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, “Banana Moon,” was released in 1971 while he was still in the band). Daevid went on to release several innovative solo albums over the next 4 decades. His solo work also included collaborations with artists like Kramer, Acid Mothers Temple, and California-based bands University of Errors and Spirits Burning. Daevid would also record and tour with various incarnations of Gong throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s. Daevid continued to release numerous live sets and one-off collaborations in limited editions on various independent labels under his own and various group names up until his passing in 2015.

D.A.F.T. official website: https://www.musicglue.com/daevid-allen-family-trust-daft/

For more information: contact the UK Representative Chris Thomson on +44 7584 176565 or Thomson.chris@icloud.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

The “Daevid Allen Family Trust” (D.A.F.T) Preserves Daevid Allen’s Legacy of Poetry, Music & Hand Drawn Illustrations - Come and Be Daft!

In 2015 Gong legend Daevid Allen sadly passed away at the age of 77. He is survived by his four sons Toby, Orlando, Tali, & Ynys. Prior to his passing Daevid set up the “Daevid Allen Family Trust” or D.A.F.T. for short for his children. The aim and focus with D.A.F.T. is to preserve Daevid’s legacy of Poetry, Music & Hand Drawn Illustrations for the fans and future generations in one place.

And now we are happy to announce that 2021 is the year to be D.A.F.T!

First of all, the web store .... is now open selling a wide selection of official D.A.F.T. merchandise and music.

Secondly, we are also happy to announce that there will be a box set coming soon called “Deya Dreaming” which is a collection of unreleased music from Daevid’s time in Deia, Mallorca.

2021 promises to be a busy year with a lot more stuff to come!

Daevid Allen, who sometimes was credited as Divided Alien, Captain Capricorn and Dingo Virgin, was an Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer and performance artist. He was co-founder of legendary music groups Soft Machine and Gong. He left Gong in 1975 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, “Banana Moon,” was released in 1971 while he was still in the band). Daevid went on to release several innovative solo albums over the next 4 decades. His solo work also included collaborations with artists like Kramer, Acid Mothers Temple, and California-based bands University of Errors and Spirits Burning. Daevid would also record and tour with various incarnations of Gong throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s. Daevid continued to release numerous live sets and one-off collaborations in limited editions on various independent labels under his own and various group names up until his passing in 2015.

D.A.F.T. official website: https://www.musicglue.com/daevid-allen-family-trust-daft/

For more information: contact the UK Representative Chris Thomson on +44 7584 176565 or Thomson.chris@icloud.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

9/15/2016

Prog Legends Gong To Release New Studio Album “Rejoice! I'm Dead!”


Their first album since the death of Daevid Allen - Released on Madfish September 16, 2016!

London, UK - Some say it couldn't, or shouldn't, be done. How could Gong exist without Daevid Allen? A few minutes into listening to the title track of their brand new album, “Rejoice!”, aspersions will be cast aside. It is undeniably Gong

Gong have had many, many line-ups. Formed when Australian beatnik/freak Daevid Allen quit The Soft Machine and moved to France at the tail end of the '60s, before debuting in 1970 with Magick Brother, the band have remained fluid, even playing without their founder from the mid-to-late '70s, fracturing and reassembling and constantly taking on new shapes and forms: an undeniably amorphous unit. David Bowie told Vanity Fayre in 2003 that Daevid Allen's Banana Moon is one of his favorite albums, and today everyone from indie artists Temples and Ty Segall to hip hop artist Madlib and techno DJ Surgeon are inspired, and borrow, from Gong's music and ideology. The funky grooves, avant-garde flourishes and counter-cultural stance is timeless. So timeless that Gong fully exists even without their creator and guiding light. For those who are unaware Daevid Allen died in March 2015.

“I have been co-presenting The Interesting Alternative Show with Steve Davis for the last six years or so,” begins the story of how Gong's new singer/guitarist Kavus Torabi met Daevid. “In 2011, Steve rang up excitedly saying 'You'll never guess who we've got as a guest next week... Daevid Allen.' I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'd met Daevid briefly a couple of times with Tim Smith (Cardiacs) but never properly. As a lifelong Gong lover, this filled me with delight. Straight away the two of us seemed to really click, within minutes the conversation had taken a turn for the absurd and I was more than a little flattered when he told me, after about an hour, 'You're a poet man, I can tell.'

“Over the forthcoming months we would text each other on a fairly regular basis, whenever Daevid was in town playing a gig he'd get in touch to see if I wanted to come along. 'I've been thinking about this a lot,' he told me, 'Do you want to play guitar in Gong?' This came somewhat out of the blue. 'But you've never actually heard me play, Daevid' I told him. 'I don't need to,' he replied. 'I felt the same way about Mike Howlett when I met him too and I'm never wrong about this stuff.' Of course I said 'Yes' instantly. 'You know, I can't play like Steve Hillage,' I told him. His response was priceless 'I don't care about what you can't do, I care about what you can do.'

“Since being a teenager, I have often come up with riffs that, while I loved them, had to be shelved because I always felt they sounded a little TOO much like Gong. One of which I started playing. Daevid got up and started improvising lyrics and melodies over the top, his beautiful eyes twinkling. This would become 'When God Shakes Hands With The Devil (from I See You).' 'Wow Kav!' Daevid said afterwards, 'Got any more like that?' Realizing that 20 years or so of shelved riffs had not gone to waste, I blurted out 'Yeah! Loads!'

Kavus joined Gong in 2014 in time for the last album the “new” band made with Daevid, “I See You,” unaware of the direction his new gig as a guitar player would take. “It was shortly after our Brazilian tour in March 2014 that, following a broken arm, Daevid told us that he had been diagnosed with cancer and would be unable to fulfill the 47 date world tour that had been booked to promote (the album). To my, and I guess all of our, minds there was no question that he would beat this thing. The most enlightened and switched on guy I ever knew, with light shooting out of every pore, he seemed indomitable. Nonetheless, he started making noises about how he wished the band to continue without him. I think everyone in the band felt ambivalent about this, particularly as we watched the majority of the gigs get canceled upon news that he was too unwell to fulfill them. I certainly had no desire to front it. I have my own band Knifeworld in which I play this role. We did, however, have a new album to promote, so we reluctantly agreed to play the remaining shows and bow out gracefully after that. Each night we sent Daevid recordings or links to YouTube footage and, from his sick bed in Australia, he wrote gushing praise about what had happened to the band and how this was exactly what he had hoped. By the end of the tour and with the full blessing of Daevid we decided to carry on.

“ 'Rejoice! I'm Dead!' came together over several weeks in an East London rehearsal studio. In terms of the writing, the songs became very elastic, what may have been brought to the band as a fixed idea, through experimenting, discarding, expanding and mutating evolved into the songs as you hear them now. Every member was key in the development of each song,” closes Kavus. Thus, Kavus (vocals/guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitar/vocals), Dave Sturt (bass/vocals), Ian East (sax/flute) and Cheb Nettles (drums/vocals) took on the mantle of steering the Teapot further into outer space and the inner ear.

On the album you'll also notice the voice of Daevid in an early song idea rehearsal, along with Gong alumni Steve Hillage, Didier Malherbe and Graham Clark. Fans of the “Virgin trilogy” won't be let down!

In the words of bassist Dave Sturt: “You bet it's a Gong record!”

It depends on your knowledge of Gong history and what constitutes as a Gong record, but if “Rejoice! I'm Dead!” is classified as their 28th album the Gong legacy is the strongest it has been since 1974. Consider the differences between “Angel's Egg,” “Gazeuse!,” “Floating Anarchy” and “I See You,” the various splinter projects and collectives… what is it that make Gong who they are? Their spontaneity and numerous Phoenix-like rebirths – this is just the latest installment. Nothing more, nothing less. New members and old coalesce, the sound unmistakably Gong.

Even without Daevid Allen Gong will continue ….. And long may it do so.

Fans can have a hint of what's to come with a clip from the song “Rejoice!” featuring Steve Hillage:



Check out the video teaser for “Rejoice! I’m Dead!” here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOapU-WdLXg
https://vimeo.com/181632625

“Rejoice! I'm Dead!” will be released on CD, a double LP and as a limited edition deluxe 3 disc hardback book edition featuring 44-page book, CD, DVD-AV & Bonus CD and digitally.

CD/LP & deluxe edition are available to pre-order here: http://www.planetgong.co.uk
Digital pre-orders: http://smarturl.it/REJOICE_IM_DEAD

For more information: www.madfishmusic.com

Gong Online:
www.gongband.net
www.planetgong.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/officialgong/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/planetgong/

Press inquiries (North America): Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Prog Legends Gong To Release New Studio Album “Rejoice! I'm Dead!”


Their first album since the death of Daevid Allen - Released on Madfish September 16, 2016!

London, UK - Some say it couldn't, or shouldn't, be done. How could Gong exist without Daevid Allen? A few minutes into listening to the title track of their brand new album, “Rejoice!”, aspersions will be cast aside. It is undeniably Gong

Gong have had many, many line-ups. Formed when Australian beatnik/freak Daevid Allen quit The Soft Machine and moved to France at the tail end of the '60s, before debuting in 1970 with Magick Brother, the band have remained fluid, even playing without their founder from the mid-to-late '70s, fracturing and reassembling and constantly taking on new shapes and forms: an undeniably amorphous unit. David Bowie told Vanity Fayre in 2003 that Daevid Allen's Banana Moon is one of his favorite albums, and today everyone from indie artists Temples and Ty Segall to hip hop artist Madlib and techno DJ Surgeon are inspired, and borrow, from Gong's music and ideology. The funky grooves, avant-garde flourishes and counter-cultural stance is timeless. So timeless that Gong fully exists even without their creator and guiding light. For those who are unaware Daevid Allen died in March 2015.

“I have been co-presenting The Interesting Alternative Show with Steve Davis for the last six years or so,” begins the story of how Gong's new singer/guitarist Kavus Torabi met Daevid. “In 2011, Steve rang up excitedly saying 'You'll never guess who we've got as a guest next week... Daevid Allen.' I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'd met Daevid briefly a couple of times with Tim Smith (Cardiacs) but never properly. As a lifelong Gong lover, this filled me with delight. Straight away the two of us seemed to really click, within minutes the conversation had taken a turn for the absurd and I was more than a little flattered when he told me, after about an hour, 'You're a poet man, I can tell.'

“Over the forthcoming months we would text each other on a fairly regular basis, whenever Daevid was in town playing a gig he'd get in touch to see if I wanted to come along. 'I've been thinking about this a lot,' he told me, 'Do you want to play guitar in Gong?' This came somewhat out of the blue. 'But you've never actually heard me play, Daevid' I told him. 'I don't need to,' he replied. 'I felt the same way about Mike Howlett when I met him too and I'm never wrong about this stuff.' Of course I said 'Yes' instantly. 'You know, I can't play like Steve Hillage,' I told him. His response was priceless 'I don't care about what you can't do, I care about what you can do.'

“Since being a teenager, I have often come up with riffs that, while I loved them, had to be shelved because I always felt they sounded a little TOO much like Gong. One of which I started playing. Daevid got up and started improvising lyrics and melodies over the top, his beautiful eyes twinkling. This would become 'When God Shakes Hands With The Devil (from I See You).' 'Wow Kav!' Daevid said afterwards, 'Got any more like that?' Realizing that 20 years or so of shelved riffs had not gone to waste, I blurted out 'Yeah! Loads!'

Kavus joined Gong in 2014 in time for the last album the “new” band made with Daevid, “I See You,” unaware of the direction his new gig as a guitar player would take. “It was shortly after our Brazilian tour in March 2014 that, following a broken arm, Daevid told us that he had been diagnosed with cancer and would be unable to fulfill the 47 date world tour that had been booked to promote (the album). To my, and I guess all of our, minds there was no question that he would beat this thing. The most enlightened and switched on guy I ever knew, with light shooting out of every pore, he seemed indomitable. Nonetheless, he started making noises about how he wished the band to continue without him. I think everyone in the band felt ambivalent about this, particularly as we watched the majority of the gigs get canceled upon news that he was too unwell to fulfill them. I certainly had no desire to front it. I have my own band Knifeworld in which I play this role. We did, however, have a new album to promote, so we reluctantly agreed to play the remaining shows and bow out gracefully after that. Each night we sent Daevid recordings or links to YouTube footage and, from his sick bed in Australia, he wrote gushing praise about what had happened to the band and how this was exactly what he had hoped. By the end of the tour and with the full blessing of Daevid we decided to carry on.

“ 'Rejoice! I'm Dead!' came together over several weeks in an East London rehearsal studio. In terms of the writing, the songs became very elastic, what may have been brought to the band as a fixed idea, through experimenting, discarding, expanding and mutating evolved into the songs as you hear them now. Every member was key in the development of each song,” closes Kavus. Thus, Kavus (vocals/guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitar/vocals), Dave Sturt (bass/vocals), Ian East (sax/flute) and Cheb Nettles (drums/vocals) took on the mantle of steering the Teapot further into outer space and the inner ear.

On the album you'll also notice the voice of Daevid in an early song idea rehearsal, along with Gong alumni Steve Hillage, Didier Malherbe and Graham Clark. Fans of the “Virgin trilogy” won't be let down!

In the words of bassist Dave Sturt: “You bet it's a Gong record!”

It depends on your knowledge of Gong history and what constitutes as a Gong record, but if “Rejoice! I'm Dead!” is classified as their 28th album the Gong legacy is the strongest it has been since 1974. Consider the differences between “Angel's Egg,” “Gazeuse!,” “Floating Anarchy” and “I See You,” the various splinter projects and collectives… what is it that make Gong who they are? Their spontaneity and numerous Phoenix-like rebirths – this is just the latest installment. Nothing more, nothing less. New members and old coalesce, the sound unmistakably Gong.

Even without Daevid Allen Gong will continue ….. And long may it do so.

Fans can have a hint of what's to come with a clip from the song “Rejoice!” featuring Steve Hillage:



Check out the video teaser for “Rejoice! I’m Dead!” here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOapU-WdLXg
https://vimeo.com/181632625

“Rejoice! I'm Dead!” will be released on CD, a double LP and as a limited edition deluxe 3 disc hardback book edition featuring 44-page book, CD, DVD-AV & Bonus CD and digitally.

CD/LP & deluxe edition are available to pre-order here: http://www.planetgong.co.uk
Digital pre-orders: http://smarturl.it/REJOICE_IM_DEAD

For more information: www.madfishmusic.com

Gong Online:
www.gongband.net
www.planetgong.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/officialgong/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/planetgong/

Press inquiries (North America): Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Prog Legends Gong To Release New Studio Album “Rejoice! I'm Dead!”


Their first album since the death of Daevid Allen - Released on Madfish September 16, 2016!

London, UK - Some say it couldn't, or shouldn't, be done. How could Gong exist without Daevid Allen? A few minutes into listening to the title track of their brand new album, “Rejoice!”, aspersions will be cast aside. It is undeniably Gong

Gong have had many, many line-ups. Formed when Australian beatnik/freak Daevid Allen quit The Soft Machine and moved to France at the tail end of the '60s, before debuting in 1970 with Magick Brother, the band have remained fluid, even playing without their founder from the mid-to-late '70s, fracturing and reassembling and constantly taking on new shapes and forms: an undeniably amorphous unit. David Bowie told Vanity Fayre in 2003 that Daevid Allen's Banana Moon is one of his favorite albums, and today everyone from indie artists Temples and Ty Segall to hip hop artist Madlib and techno DJ Surgeon are inspired, and borrow, from Gong's music and ideology. The funky grooves, avant-garde flourishes and counter-cultural stance is timeless. So timeless that Gong fully exists even without their creator and guiding light. For those who are unaware Daevid Allen died in March 2015.

“I have been co-presenting The Interesting Alternative Show with Steve Davis for the last six years or so,” begins the story of how Gong's new singer/guitarist Kavus Torabi met Daevid. “In 2011, Steve rang up excitedly saying 'You'll never guess who we've got as a guest next week... Daevid Allen.' I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'd met Daevid briefly a couple of times with Tim Smith (Cardiacs) but never properly. As a lifelong Gong lover, this filled me with delight. Straight away the two of us seemed to really click, within minutes the conversation had taken a turn for the absurd and I was more than a little flattered when he told me, after about an hour, 'You're a poet man, I can tell.'

“Over the forthcoming months we would text each other on a fairly regular basis, whenever Daevid was in town playing a gig he'd get in touch to see if I wanted to come along. 'I've been thinking about this a lot,' he told me, 'Do you want to play guitar in Gong?' This came somewhat out of the blue. 'But you've never actually heard me play, Daevid' I told him. 'I don't need to,' he replied. 'I felt the same way about Mike Howlett when I met him too and I'm never wrong about this stuff.' Of course I said 'Yes' instantly. 'You know, I can't play like Steve Hillage,' I told him. His response was priceless 'I don't care about what you can't do, I care about what you can do.'

“Since being a teenager, I have often come up with riffs that, while I loved them, had to be shelved because I always felt they sounded a little TOO much like Gong. One of which I started playing. Daevid got up and started improvising lyrics and melodies over the top, his beautiful eyes twinkling. This would become 'When God Shakes Hands With The Devil (from I See You).' 'Wow Kav!' Daevid said afterwards, 'Got any more like that?' Realizing that 20 years or so of shelved riffs had not gone to waste, I blurted out 'Yeah! Loads!'

Kavus joined Gong in 2014 in time for the last album the “new” band made with Daevid, “I See You,” unaware of the direction his new gig as a guitar player would take. “It was shortly after our Brazilian tour in March 2014 that, following a broken arm, Daevid told us that he had been diagnosed with cancer and would be unable to fulfill the 47 date world tour that had been booked to promote (the album). To my, and I guess all of our, minds there was no question that he would beat this thing. The most enlightened and switched on guy I ever knew, with light shooting out of every pore, he seemed indomitable. Nonetheless, he started making noises about how he wished the band to continue without him. I think everyone in the band felt ambivalent about this, particularly as we watched the majority of the gigs get canceled upon news that he was too unwell to fulfill them. I certainly had no desire to front it. I have my own band Knifeworld in which I play this role. We did, however, have a new album to promote, so we reluctantly agreed to play the remaining shows and bow out gracefully after that. Each night we sent Daevid recordings or links to YouTube footage and, from his sick bed in Australia, he wrote gushing praise about what had happened to the band and how this was exactly what he had hoped. By the end of the tour and with the full blessing of Daevid we decided to carry on.

“ 'Rejoice! I'm Dead!' came together over several weeks in an East London rehearsal studio. In terms of the writing, the songs became very elastic, what may have been brought to the band as a fixed idea, through experimenting, discarding, expanding and mutating evolved into the songs as you hear them now. Every member was key in the development of each song,” closes Kavus. Thus, Kavus (vocals/guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitar/vocals), Dave Sturt (bass/vocals), Ian East (sax/flute) and Cheb Nettles (drums/vocals) took on the mantle of steering the Teapot further into outer space and the inner ear.

On the album you'll also notice the voice of Daevid in an early song idea rehearsal, along with Gong alumni Steve Hillage, Didier Malherbe and Graham Clark. Fans of the “Virgin trilogy” won't be let down!

In the words of bassist Dave Sturt: “You bet it's a Gong record!”

It depends on your knowledge of Gong history and what constitutes as a Gong record, but if “Rejoice! I'm Dead!” is classified as their 28th album the Gong legacy is the strongest it has been since 1974. Consider the differences between “Angel's Egg,” “Gazeuse!,” “Floating Anarchy” and “I See You,” the various splinter projects and collectives… what is it that make Gong who they are? Their spontaneity and numerous Phoenix-like rebirths – this is just the latest installment. Nothing more, nothing less. New members and old coalesce, the sound unmistakably Gong.

Even without Daevid Allen Gong will continue ….. And long may it do so.

Fans can have a hint of what's to come with a clip from the song “Rejoice!” featuring Steve Hillage:



Check out the video teaser for “Rejoice! I’m Dead!” here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOapU-WdLXg
https://vimeo.com/181632625

“Rejoice! I'm Dead!” will be released on CD, a double LP and as a limited edition deluxe 3 disc hardback book edition featuring 44-page book, CD, DVD-AV & Bonus CD and digitally.

CD/LP & deluxe edition are available to pre-order here: http://www.planetgong.co.uk
Digital pre-orders: http://smarturl.it/REJOICE_IM_DEAD

For more information: www.madfishmusic.com

Gong Online:
www.gongband.net
www.planetgong.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/officialgong/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/planetgong/

Press inquiries (North America): Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

2/03/2016

GONG Legend Daevid Allen's Final Album “Daevid Allen Weird Quartet - ELEVENSES” To Be Released February 12, 2016


The Final Recordings from Gong & Soft Machine Co-Founder Daevid Allen!

Los Angeles - Purple Pyramid Records will be releasing on February 12, 2016 the final album from legendary Daevid Allen, one of the most innovative music artists to emerge from this planet! Daevid Allen Weird Quartet is a recording project bringing together Daevid Allen, founder of The Soft Machine and Gong, with Don Falcone of Spirits Burning, Michael Clare of Daevid Allen's University of Errors, and drummers Trey Sabatelli (The Tubes) and Paul Sears (The Muffins). “ELEVENSES” is the second album by this band, following 2005's “DJDDAY”, which was released under the band name “Weird Biscuit Teatime.” Daevid Allen Weird Quartet “ELEVENSES” is the last band album that Daevid worked on before his death, in March of 2015.

Christopher David Allen (13 January 1938 – 13 March 2015), better known as Daevid Allen, sometimes credited as Divided Alien, was an Australian and had a brilliant career as a poet, musician, artist, and one-time cab driver that spanned over fifty years. Daevid was constantly pushing boundaries and was always the center of activity. He continually inspired those around him to be creative and to achieve their best.

The Daily Telegraph said, “Allen revelled in being the court jester of hippie rock and never lost his enthusiasm for the transcendent power of the psychedelic experience. He once remarked, 'Psychedelia for me is a code for that profound spiritual experience where there is a direct link to the gods.' That he never attained the riches and fame of many of his contemporaries did not concern him.”

Daevid Allen Weird Quartet “ELEVENSES” album is a mixture of styles of music found throughout his career, plus a few surprises: a blues song in 7/4, a catchy Irish-tinged folk song, ambient and explosive instrumentals, a post-punk rave-up with Daevid's final message on a record.

Track List:
1. TransloopThisMessage
2. Imagicknation
3.The Latest Curfew Craze
4. Kick That Habit Man
5. Secretary Of Lore
6. Alchemy
7. The Cold Stuffings Of November
8. Grasshopping
9. God's New Deal
10. Dim Sum In Alphabetical Order
11. Killer Honey
12. Under The YumYum Tree Cafe
13. Banana Construction

Available on both CD and vinyl February 12, 2016!

Buy the CD: http://flyt.it/DaevidAllenWeirdQuartetCD
Buy the Vinyl: http://flyt.it/DaevidAllenWeirdQuartetLP
Buy the digital: http://flyt.it/DaevidAllenWeirdQuartetdig

Daevid Allen Weird Quartet Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DAWQ2015/?ref=bookmarks&__mref=message_bubble

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com

GONG Legend Daevid Allen's Final Album “Daevid Allen Weird Quartet - ELEVENSES” To Be Released February 12, 2016


The Final Recordings from Gong & Soft Machine Co-Founder Daevid Allen!

Los Angeles - Purple Pyramid Records will be releasing on February 12, 2016 the final album from legendary Daevid Allen, one of the most innovative music artists to emerge from this planet! Daevid Allen Weird Quartet is a recording project bringing together Daevid Allen, founder of The Soft Machine and Gong, with Don Falcone of Spirits Burning, Michael Clare of Daevid Allen's University of Errors, and drummers Trey Sabatelli (The Tubes) and Paul Sears (The Muffins). “ELEVENSES” is the second album by this band, following 2005's “DJDDAY”, which was released under the band name “Weird Biscuit Teatime.” Daevid Allen Weird Quartet “ELEVENSES” is the last band album that Daevid worked on before his death, in March of 2015.

Christopher David Allen (13 January 1938 – 13 March 2015), better known as Daevid Allen, sometimes credited as Divided Alien, was an Australian and had a brilliant career as a poet, musician, artist, and one-time cab driver that spanned over fifty years. Daevid was constantly pushing boundaries and was always the center of activity. He continually inspired those around him to be creative and to achieve their best.

The Daily Telegraph said, “Allen revelled in being the court jester of hippie rock and never lost his enthusiasm for the transcendent power of the psychedelic experience. He once remarked, 'Psychedelia for me is a code for that profound spiritual experience where there is a direct link to the gods.' That he never attained the riches and fame of many of his contemporaries did not concern him.”

Daevid Allen Weird Quartet “ELEVENSES” album is a mixture of styles of music found throughout his career, plus a few surprises: a blues song in 7/4, a catchy Irish-tinged folk song, ambient and explosive instrumentals, a post-punk rave-up with Daevid's final message on a record.

Track List:
1. TransloopThisMessage
2. Imagicknation
3.The Latest Curfew Craze
4. Kick That Habit Man
5. Secretary Of Lore
6. Alchemy
7. The Cold Stuffings Of November
8. Grasshopping
9. God's New Deal
10. Dim Sum In Alphabetical Order
11. Killer Honey
12. Under The YumYum Tree Cafe
13. Banana Construction

Available on both CD and vinyl February 12, 2016!

Buy the CD: http://flyt.it/DaevidAllenWeirdQuartetCD
Buy the Vinyl: http://flyt.it/DaevidAllenWeirdQuartetLP
Buy the digital: http://flyt.it/DaevidAllenWeirdQuartetdig

Daevid Allen Weird Quartet Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DAWQ2015/?ref=bookmarks&__mref=message_bubble

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com

3/15/2015

Progressive Rock Review: Gong- I See You

Release Date: 17thNovember 2014
Label: Madfish Records

While I am very aware of the existence of the band, Gong, especially having reviewed Steve Hillage releases as Steve was a member of the band in the early days. What I was not aware of was the fact that the band is still on the go. I See You is a new release and makes the number of studio albums released by Gong now reach 23, from the debut album in 1969, Magic Brother, to the previously issued release, 2032, out in 2009.

This new album, I See You, will delight the die-hard fans of the band, Gong, but the information also recently released on the website will have been devastating. Original member, Daevid Allen, who contributes gliss guitar and vocals, had indicated that he had a terminal illness with only months remaining and just passed on March 13th.

The band for the recording of I See You comprises Daevid Allen, Orlando Allen (drums, vocals), Dave Sturt (bass, computer samples), Kavus Torabi (neoprog smart guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitars) and Ian East (saxophone, flute). Kavus Torabi is also a member of the band Knifeworld, and also joining as guests on the album are Gilli Smyth (sprinkled space whisper) and Mark Robson (keyboards).

I See You is a 12 track album with a total playing time of around 63 minutes, with consecutive tracks, numbers 10 and 11, “A Brew Of Special Tea” and “Thank You,” being the shortest, and longest, at 1:22 minutes and 10:35 minutes respectively. An interesting aside is that the members of the band were recording in different places, Australia, Brazil, Israel and the UK, and then the results seamlessly merged to produce the 12 tracks on offer.

The opening, and title, track, “I See You” (3:24) opens with some spoken word passages and a distinct jazzy feel to the music. The vocals put me in mind of the style of David Byrne (Talking Heads) and the track merges horns, guitars and synth swirls in a fairly pleasant, in unremarkable, manner. This is an easy going track to set the album in motion.

“Occupy” (2:51) almost shouts out “King Crimson,” with some frenetic horn work and sudden unexpected time changes which certainly kept this listener on his toes. As the track moves into its fade-out sequence, it is awash with Gilmour/Floydian style sounds.

Track 3, “When God Shakes Hands With The Devil” (5:36) has almost rap-like vocals and the excellent drumming, guitars and flute contribute to a very interesting track.

“The Eternal Wheel Spins” (7:07) has a soft spoken intro by Gilli and then proceeds to drive along in a manner not unlike an in-form Hawkwind. Some amazing guitar from Fabio is a real highlight of this track and its 7+ minute length seems to fly by. This is my personal favorite track from the first third of the album.
 
“Syllabub” (4:30) is one of those “stop-start” musical pieces which really never grabbed this listener. The constant time changes prevented the track from flowing. “This Revolution” (3:44) is a hard hitting diatribe on revolution set amidst horns and a “spacey” style background. “You See Me” (3:44), which is possibly linked to the title track, shows the King Crimson style again, especially with that bands characteristic time shuffles.

A change of style sweeps in with “Zion My T-Shirt” (6:09) with some excellent choral styled chanting setting the scene. Subdued drumming, subtle guitar and a set of breathy styled vocals make for a very atmospheric track. The longish spoken section of lyrics sits within the track well.

Next up is a real piece of whimsicality with “Pixielation” (4:43). The sections within this track are separated by very atmospheric music, and the result is a very clever track that embeds itself in the mind.

The very short “A Brew Of Special Tea” (1:22) is a mainly sound effect track with an old style radio type vocals in the background, but grabs the listeners attention.

The longest track on offer “Thank You” (10:29) is one of those hypnotic drone style tracks which builds in intensity very slowly with some excellent synth guitar. Just prior to the 4 minute mark, the track becomes very sparse, before building again with some more excellent guitar, but I did find that the “atmospheric” sounds in the background proved more of a distraction than adding to the soundscape. This section seems a little too long, going on as it does to around the 7+ minute point, before the track moves into a simple chant like vocal, but the magic generated by the first 4 minutes seems to have vanished. This genuinely sounds like the final track of an album so it is interesting to see how the band do close the album.

“Shakti Yoni and Dingo Virgin” (9:32) veers in another direction, being built up of atmospheric and ambient soundscapes, instrumental in nature, apart from the “sprinkled space whispers” supplied by Gilli.

I See You is an album that will sell well to Gong enthusiasts, as here we have a band that, while recreating some classic Gong style music, have refused to simply “go through the motions.” There are huge hints at the contents of some early classic Gong albums, but the motivation and enthusiasm of the musicians involved ensure that this is a “new” Gong. I See You could also pick up sales from music aficionados keen to sound out Gong, and several listens to this album could well see them search out early back catalogue material.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Eternal Wheel Spins, Zion My T-Shirt, Pixielation

Tracks:
I See You
Occupy
When God Shakes Hands With The Devil
The Eternal Wheel Spins
Syllabub
This Revolution
You See Me
Zion My T-Shirt
Pixielation
A Brew Of Special Tea
Thank You
Shakti Yoni and Dingo Virgin


Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

March 15, 2015

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Progressive Rock Review: Gong- I See You

Release Date: 17thNovember 2014
Label: Madfish Records

While I am very aware of the existence of the band, Gong, especially having reviewed Steve Hillage releases as Steve was a member of the band in the early days. What I was not aware of was the fact that the band is still on the go. I See You is a new release and makes the number of studio albums released by Gong now reach 23, from the debut album in 1969, Magic Brother, to the previously issued release, 2032, out in 2009.

This new album, I See You, will delight the die-hard fans of the band, Gong, but the information also recently released on the website will have been devastating. Original member, Daevid Allen, who contributes gliss guitar and vocals, had indicated that he had a terminal illness with only months remaining and just passed on March 13th.

The band for the recording of I See You comprises Daevid Allen, Orlando Allen (drums, vocals), Dave Sturt (bass, computer samples), Kavus Torabi (neoprog smart guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitars) and Ian East (saxophone, flute). Kavus Torabi is also a member of the band Knifeworld, and also joining as guests on the album are Gilli Smyth (sprinkled space whisper) and Mark Robson (keyboards).

I See You is a 12 track album with a total playing time of around 63 minutes, with consecutive tracks, numbers 10 and 11, “A Brew Of Special Tea” and “Thank You,” being the shortest, and longest, at 1:22 minutes and 10:35 minutes respectively. An interesting aside is that the members of the band were recording in different places, Australia, Brazil, Israel and the UK, and then the results seamlessly merged to produce the 12 tracks on offer.

The opening, and title, track, “I See You” (3:24) opens with some spoken word passages and a distinct jazzy feel to the music. The vocals put me in mind of the style of David Byrne (Talking Heads) and the track merges horns, guitars and synth swirls in a fairly pleasant, in unremarkable, manner. This is an easy going track to set the album in motion.

“Occupy” (2:51) almost shouts out “King Crimson,” with some frenetic horn work and sudden unexpected time changes which certainly kept this listener on his toes. As the track moves into its fade-out sequence, it is awash with Gilmour/Floydian style sounds.

Track 3, “When God Shakes Hands With The Devil” (5:36) has almost rap-like vocals and the excellent drumming, guitars and flute contribute to a very interesting track.

“The Eternal Wheel Spins” (7:07) has a soft spoken intro by Gilli and then proceeds to drive along in a manner not unlike an in-form Hawkwind. Some amazing guitar from Fabio is a real highlight of this track and its 7+ minute length seems to fly by. This is my personal favorite track from the first third of the album.
 
“Syllabub” (4:30) is one of those “stop-start” musical pieces which really never grabbed this listener. The constant time changes prevented the track from flowing. “This Revolution” (3:44) is a hard hitting diatribe on revolution set amidst horns and a “spacey” style background. “You See Me” (3:44), which is possibly linked to the title track, shows the King Crimson style again, especially with that bands characteristic time shuffles.

A change of style sweeps in with “Zion My T-Shirt” (6:09) with some excellent choral styled chanting setting the scene. Subdued drumming, subtle guitar and a set of breathy styled vocals make for a very atmospheric track. The longish spoken section of lyrics sits within the track well.

Next up is a real piece of whimsicality with “Pixielation” (4:43). The sections within this track are separated by very atmospheric music, and the result is a very clever track that embeds itself in the mind.

The very short “A Brew Of Special Tea” (1:22) is a mainly sound effect track with an old style radio type vocals in the background, but grabs the listeners attention.

The longest track on offer “Thank You” (10:29) is one of those hypnotic drone style tracks which builds in intensity very slowly with some excellent synth guitar. Just prior to the 4 minute mark, the track becomes very sparse, before building again with some more excellent guitar, but I did find that the “atmospheric” sounds in the background proved more of a distraction than adding to the soundscape. This section seems a little too long, going on as it does to around the 7+ minute point, before the track moves into a simple chant like vocal, but the magic generated by the first 4 minutes seems to have vanished. This genuinely sounds like the final track of an album so it is interesting to see how the band do close the album.

“Shakti Yoni and Dingo Virgin” (9:32) veers in another direction, being built up of atmospheric and ambient soundscapes, instrumental in nature, apart from the “sprinkled space whispers” supplied by Gilli.

I See You is an album that will sell well to Gong enthusiasts, as here we have a band that, while recreating some classic Gong style music, have refused to simply “go through the motions.” There are huge hints at the contents of some early classic Gong albums, but the motivation and enthusiasm of the musicians involved ensure that this is a “new” Gong. I See You could also pick up sales from music aficionados keen to sound out Gong, and several listens to this album could well see them search out early back catalogue material.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Eternal Wheel Spins, Zion My T-Shirt, Pixielation

Tracks:
I See You
Occupy
When God Shakes Hands With The Devil
The Eternal Wheel Spins
Syllabub
This Revolution
You See Me
Zion My T-Shirt
Pixielation
A Brew Of Special Tea
Thank You
Shakti Yoni and Dingo Virgin


Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

March 15, 2015

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk