Progressive, psychedelic rock pioneers Gong have announced a new special edition of their highly praised 2023 release Unending Ascending today. The new release, a CD package with an 8-page booklet, includes 6 previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded live from the band’s superb 2024 show at Edinburgh’s Summerhall as part of the ‘Gong + Ozric Tentacles UK Tour’.
The release coincides with Gong’s extensive late-2024 North American & European tour which will see them play shows across the USA, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Poland, amongst others. “It’s been a long time coming but, following the release of Unending Ascending, Gong are delighted to be playing in the US. No minds left unblown or else” says Kavus Torabi.
“Cosmic rock of the highest order” – PROG
“If Unending Ascending is your first time encountering Gong, this is a spectacular introduction” – LOUDER THAN WAR
GONG UPCOMING SHOWS 15/08 Woodstock Forever ’24, Eisfeld – DE 16/08 The Forum, Tunbridge Wells – UK 17/08 A New Day Festival, Hernhill – UK 24/09 Chapel at Muhlenberg College, Allentown PA – USA 25/09 The Southern Music Hall, Charlottesville VA – USA 26/09 King’s Raleigh, Raleigh NC – USA 27/09 The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC – USA 28/09 Mockingbird Theater, Franklin TN – USA 30/09 The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids MI – USA 01/10 Reggie’s, Chicago IL – USA 02/10 Shank Hall, Milwaukee WI – USA 03/10 Token Lounge, Detroit, Westland MI – USA 04/10 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati OH – USA 05/10 Irving Theater, Indianapolis IN – USA 06/10 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH – USA 09/10 75 Stutson Street Auditorium Stage, Rochester NY – USA 10/10 Homer Arts Center, Homer NY – USA 14/10 Space Ballroom, Hamden CT – USA 15/10 The Iron Horse, Northampton MA – USA 17/10 The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls NY – USA 19/10 Orion Studios, Baltimore MD – USA 20/10 Progstock Festival @ Williams Center, Rutherford NJ – USA 07/11 O13, Tilburg – NL 08/11 Boerderij, Zoetermeer – NL 10/11 MS Stubnitz, Hamburg – DE 11/11 Hotel Cecil, Copenhagen – DK 12/11 Babel, Malmö – SE 13/11 Musikens Hus, Goteborg – SE 15/11 Debaser, Stockholm – SE 16/11 Rockland, Sala – SE 18/11 Validi Karkia Club, Pori – FI 19/11 Louhisali, Espoo – FI 21/11 Hybrydy, Warsaw – PL 22/11 Kuźnia, Bydgoszcz – PL 23/11 CK Zamek, Poznan – PL 24/11 Rialto, Katowice – PL 26/11 Kofferfabrik, Fürth – DE 27/11 KuBa, Jena – DE 28/11 Akropolis, Prague – CZ 29/11 Kino Ebensee, Ebensee – AT 30/11 Porgy & Bess, Vienna – AT 03/12 Backstage, Munich – DE 04/12 Das Rind, Rüsselsheim – DE 05/12 Jubez, Karlsruhe – DE 06/12 Cafe de la Danse, Paris – FR 07/12 Le Grillen, Colmar – FR 09/12 Harmonie, Bonn – DE
The universe of Gong began in 1969 when visionary Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound psychedelic vision. A founder member of Soft Machine, Allen incorporated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an evolving collective. More a mythology than a band in the conventional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative, and experimental rock groups of the seventies, through an exploratory mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia with elements of mysticism and surrealism, unafraid to deliver its messages directly, obliquely or whimsically.
The current incarnation, who were put together by Daevid for his swansong album with Gong, I See You, honour his intention that Gong do not die with him, urging the band to “carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself”.
Photo credit – Layla Burrows
The current lineup of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable in Gong’s illustrious history, having written, recorded and toured together for eight years since Allen’s passing. A dynamic, powerful and explosive live band, their music draws from the credo of the original Gong while remaining committed to pushing the composition, performances and message into new realms, paying no mind to nostalgia.
The Unending AscendingSpecial Edition will be released on Kscope on 27th September on digipak CD with an 8-page booklet. Pre-order:https://gong.lnk.to/UA_special_edition
Acclaimed musician Leon Alvarado is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the official video for the title track of his critically praised album, “The Changing Tide.” Set to premiere on Friday, September 20th, the video showcases mesmerizing visual sequences created by video artist Nuutti Kataja, marking an exciting collaboration between the two artists.
Reflecting on the new project, Alvarado shares, “In my previous video, we explored some really immersive imagery, where viewers felt as though they were stepping into a surrealistic painting. For this new video, I wanted to push the boundaries even further by blending a more realistic feel within a fantastical setting. Nuutti and I worked closely on gathering reference material and discussing different approaches to bring the scenes to life. When we ran some initial tests, I knew we were onto something special. The final sequences are stunning and flow seamlessly with the music. Nuutti did an outstanding job translating our vision into a visual masterpiece.”
Alvarado also commented on the use of modern technology in the creative process: “There’s a lot of debate around artificial intelligence, but I believe that when used properly, it can enable incredible visuals that might otherwise be prohibitively expensive to achieve. In the right hands, it can be a powerful tool for creativity.”
Musically, the video highlights Alvarado takes on drums, keyboards, and bass, while Edoardo Scordo, guitarist from Brit Floyd, lends his skill on guitar and slide guitar. The track was mixed and produced by Alvarado, with final mastering by renowned engineer Maor Appelbaum.
Fans of Alvarado and new listeners alike can look forward to the innovative blend of music and visuals in this highly anticipated video release.
THE CHANGING TIDE Video Release date: September 20, 2024
Credits: Leon Alvarado: Drums, Keyboards Bass & Effects Edoardo Scordo: Guitars and slide Guitar Produced and mixed by Leon AlvaradoMastered by Maor AppelbaumA.I. Video sequences by Nuutti Kataja. Editing by Nuutti Kataja and Leon AlvaradoTitles by Synergy Design Record on: Melodic Revolution Records
About Leon Alvarado: Leon Alvarado is a progressive rock artist known for his innovative fusion of electronic and rock music. Over the course of more than two decades, Alvarado has consistently demonstrated his ingenuity as a musician, constantly expanding the horizons of his artistic vision with each successive project. His repertoire boasts collaborations with esteemed figures in the Prog rock scene, earning him widespread acclaim and nurturing a devoted fan base worldwide. Beyond his own musical creations, Leon frequently collaborates with bands and promoters, channeling his artistic skills into crafting fascinating album covers and promotional tour materials.
UK progressive rockers Frost* recently announced the release of their brand new double concept album ‘Life In The Wires’, due out October 18th, 2024 via InsideOutMusic. “Every prog band worth their salt really should do a double album, shouldn’t they?” asks Frost* frontman Jem Godfrey. “We’ve always kind of had this idea of wanting to do one. So I sat down last summer and thought, well, I’m just gonna have to get my head down and go for it.”
Today sees the launch of the track ‘Moral & Consequence’, a song that appears later in the story, and you can watch it now here:
Jem Godfrey comments: “Moral and Consequence is a song of two halves, you’ll never guess what each section is called… In 2008, on our 2nd album “Experiments In Mass Appeal”, I sang – “The ideal and the innocence, the moral and the consequence. Core desire, it’s a real Livewire, setting my life on fire, oh it’s unreal.” It’s not a sequel to the song from 2008, but at the same time it is. It’s a bit complicated, all will be revealed on the new album.”
*** “It’s actually a continuation from Day and Age” explains Godfrey, “the first track on the new album starts with the end of the last track from that album “Repeat to Fade,” where the static comes up and a voice says “Can you hear me?”. I remember putting that in when we did Day and Age as a possible little hook for the future; a character somewhere out there in Day and Age land trying to be heard. What does he want to say? Can anybody hear him? Day and Age kind of sets up the world that this character lives in and Life In The Wires tells his story”.
The story revolves around the main character Naio, an aimless kid heading for a meaningless future in an A.I. run world. He hears an old DJ talking on the ancient AM radio his mother once gave him and decides to trace the source of the signal and find “Livewire” to see if there’s a better future out there. However, the All Seeing Eye is less than impressed at this bid for independent thought and fights back. Soon Naio finds himself pursued across the country by an outraged mob as he tries to locate the home of Livewire and his freedom. Tune in at www.lifeinthewires.com and see if you can hear Livewire on the radio.
Helping create this parallel world are the “classic” Frost* lineup of guitarist John Mitchell, bassist Nathan King, and returning drummer Craig Blundell.
Fans of the band’s masterful debut album Milliontown (2006) will enjoy the band revisiting the style that made that debut album one of the most successful prog rock albums of the last 20 years, a fact that was not lost on Godfrey as he was writing this new record.
“With Day and Age, we made it a very specific point: we’re not doing any solos, we’ll do clever arrangements. And we enjoyed that discipline, but this time I thought it might be good to row back on that position a bit. Plus, I wanted to have a little bit of a nod to Milliontown with this album, because it’s been nearly 20 years since Milliontown came out and I’m still proud of it. The 15-minute title track has a few of those Milliontown moments in it which were great fun to do again.”
‘Life In The Wires’ will be available as a Limited 2CD, Gatefold 180g 2LP & as Digital Album, with subtle difference across the 3 formats for added interest. The album features artwork design by Carl Glover, who also designed the cover of ‘Day And Age’. The full track listing is as follows:
CD1:
1. Skywaving 1:57 2. Life in the Wires, Part 1 5:30 3. This House Of Winter 6:10 4. The Solid State Orchestra 6:35 5. Evaporator 8:09 6. Strange World 5:09 7. Idiot Box 4:59 8. Absent Friends 3:58
CD2:
1. School (Introducing The All Seeing Eye) 3:12 2. Propergander 5:34 3. Sign Of Life 5:44 4. Moral And Consequence 8:13 5. Life in the Wires, Part 2 15:51 Starting Fires 4:40
UK underground progressive champions Dawnwalker unveil their latest opus The Unknowing. Helmed by mastermind and songwriter Mark Norgate, The Unknowing features an exciting new cast of players including Luke Fabian (ex-Pupil Slicer), Sofia Sourianou (Deathbloom, Lure In), Chris J Allan (ex-Malefice) and flautist Bella Band. Conceived across three studio albums, The Unknowing promises a sharply tuned focus on songwriting, harmony and sonic finesse through a new found foray into heavy, art-rock flavoured songs.
Main songwriter Mark Norgate hints that “T he album deals with grand themes that we’ve been reaching for throughout our whole discography; a conscious move away from post-metal towards something spacier and more progressive; and probably more pop too.” The Unknowing promises to challenge fans and listeners as a concept album meditating on grand themes concerning our shared search for belonging, and our desire to know our place in this vast, hostile and unknowable universe.
Following their widely acclaimed fifth album House Of Sand, Dawnwalker continue to build their legacy independently and will self-release The Unknowing on October 18th in-house on classic black Vinyl, plus a limited blue marbled vinyl variant, making The Unknowing is a relic for record collectors. In late 2023, Dawnwalker completed a short double-headlining UK tour with HealthyLiving, initiating some of this new recording line-up ahead of the album writing and studio process. The band have also shared stages with the likes of <Bruit, Sacred Son, Bodies On Everest, Sugar Horse, Novere, and more.
CLEAR VINYL Signed by both Rick Wakeman and Gordon Giltrap – Limited to 250 Copies
“From Brush & Stone” is a studio album by guitarist Gordon Giltrap and keyboardist Rick Wakeman. The album is the first opportunity to record together for Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman. Both are longtime friends who have been on separate musical paths for forty years.
“Having known Gordon for more years than we both care to remember and having great admiration for both his musical and technical ability plus his unique style of composing, it was a no-brainer for us to produce this album together. Logically, I played exactly what I felt was needed on Gordon’s compositions and he played exactly what he felt was needed on mine – another no-brainer. It’s one of those albums where every time you listen to it you discover something new in the music. Each track evokes a different emotion for the listener which indeed it did for Gordon and myself when we recorded the tracks. An album I think we can be rightly proud of.” – Rick Wakeman
“In 1963 at age 15 I was forced to leave school by my well-meaning father, suggesting that I learn a trade thus abandoning any hope I had of going to art college. Since becoming a writer of tunes I think subconsciously I have been using music as my creative canvas. I have always found that paintings have been a great source of inspiration culminating in 1976 with the William Blake inspired Visionary album and then in 1981 with Peacock Party followed by the Pre-Raphaelite inspired Brotherhood Suite. When the opportunity came along to make an album with my old friend and towering keyboard genius Rick Wakeman I put forward my Brotherhood Suite as a concept and starting point. Rick responded very positively and came back with his idea of classical sculpture as an inspiration. This he did superbly. I was given the luxury of time to work on his compositions, about 6 months in fact, and I hope I did justice to his creations. It was and continues to be an honour to have worked with one of the great Godfathers of progressive rock.” – Gordon Giltrap
Tracklist: Side One 1. The Savannah Bird 2. Caesar Augustus 3. The Kiss 4. Hermes Side Two 1. The Thinker 2. David 3. The Discus Thrower 4. The Last of England Spring Side Three 1. The Death of Chatterton 2. The Light of the World 3. World 4. By Angle Tarn 5. Maddie Goes West Side Four (Previously Unreleased) 1. A Dublin Day 2. Down The River 3. Isabella’s Wedding
Personnel: Gordon Giltrap – guitars Rick Wakeman – keyboards Production Produced by Erik Jordan, Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman. Guitar recording sessions engineered by Paul White at Malvern Studios. Keyboard recording sessions engineered by Erik Jordan at Pavilion Studios. Mixed by Erik Jordan at Jordan Audio Studios. Artwork by Jan Leytham-Gain. Additional photography by Lee Wilkinson. Special thanks to Malcolm ‘Mad Malc’ Welch.
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