GONG
+ Snorkel
The universe of Gong began in 1969 when 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 before his swansong album with Gong, 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”.
‘I The collective of Kavus T orabi, 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, performancesand message into new realms, paying no mind to nostalgia. Gong in 2023 continue the ethics, attitude and lifestyle that was always woven into the fabric of the band.
Snorkel
Snorkel are a south London based collective whose members come from different corners of the alternative scene, bringing together the tactics of improvisation, electronica, and
sonic art. Propelled by the drums and the rhythms generated by cheap samplers and drum machines, the band revel in the joy of angular repetition, throwing in elastic interruptions on guitar, analogue and digital synthesisers and vocals.
The band’s musical influences are diverse; formed out of the post Can and This Heat landscape, improvisation is at the core of Snorkel, as they segue between afrobeat, dub and krautrock. Once described by Rock A Rolla as “the missing link between Krautrock and Lee Scratch Perry,” the band revel in angular repetition, deep polyrhythmic grooves, and the real-time sculpting of a polymorphously perverse, unruly soundscapes.
