Unending Ascending by Gong

The Universe Also Collapses of 2019, an album that inaugurated the Ascension Trilogy, an abstract and metaphysical work, focused on the concept of the cyclical nature of time, with the majestic suite Forever Reoccurring.

Then of Rejoice! I'm Dead! in 2016 the first, touching chapter recorded by the band immediately after the death of Daevid Allen, which left an unbridgeable void but also laid the foundations for the future of the collective.

There is no shortage of biographical insights with the card The Gongs: the Life and Death of Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth, a biographical and human focus that explores the birth of the group in Paris in 1967, the creation of the "Gong Global Family" and the extraordinary lives of the two founders.

And also of the beautiful Camembert Electrique (1971) the band's second album, a great psychedelic rock record, the real prototype of an entire alternative lifestyle and musical genre.

And of course, of the inevitable Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy, the three historical chapters of the saga, an entire work that assumes for me the status of absolute masterpiece of the Canterbury scene: Flying Teapot - Radio Gnome Invisible Part 1 (1973), an album that officially introduces the bizarre lysergic mythology of the planet Gong. Angel's Egg - Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2 (1973): second chapter, which delves into the instrumental and narrative development of Zero the Hero's journey. You (1974), my absolute favorite album of Gong's discography, an essential and unsurpassed masterpiece.

Unending Ascending is an album that mixes psychedelic rock, space rock, jazz and ambient.  It shows that Gong's line-up, after Daevid Allen, is in great shape. After the founder left us in 2015, the band continued to make music with guitarist and vocalist Kavus Torabi at the helm. Unending Ascending is the third studio album by this line-up, and carries on Allen's spiritual and artistic legacy.  Unlike the long streams of sound of the past, this album offers shorter and easier to listen songs. The eight tracks are an adventure into space and psychedelia.  The album alternates moments of space-trance, avant-garde jazz and classic progressive rock of the Sixties.

The title "Unending Ascending" (which we could translate as "Infinite Ascent") encapsulates both the spiritual message of the lyrics and the artistic rebirth of the band.  A force that pushes us to grow and improve more and more, a journey towards a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world.  The band does not stop, it continues to ascend in a flow of positive and infinite energy ("unending"). Torabi said that the lyrics explore the idea that time is not a straight line, but that everything happens in a single, immense present moment.  This concept, which comes from psychedelic altered states and theories of modern physics, is reflected in both the music and the lyrics.  The album is like an astronomical journey, guided by mythological metaphors.

Gong are famous for their trilogies, in their long career, they have created two great cycles of three albums each: the mythical trilogy of the 70s by founder Daevid Allen, and the more recent psychedelic trilogy led by Kavus Torabi. After the Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy (1973-1974), today we are at the Ascension Trilogy (2019-2026), a new saga that moves from the humorous mythology of the 70s to a philosophical and spiritual journey between the elements and the cosmos composed of:

The Universe Also Collapses (2019) which takes us into deep space, between destruction and creation of the macrocosm.

Unending Ascending (2023) which explores the astral and lunar dimensions, time dilation and the ascent of consciousness.

Bright Spirit (2026) is the grand finale, representing water and land with dreamy compositions and a strong spiritual light.

The line-up is that of the current stable line-up of Gong.

Kavus Torabi – lead vocals, electric guitar

Fabio Golfetti – electric guitar, glissando guitar, backing vocals

Ian East – saxophone (tenor and soprano), flute, woodwinds

Dave Sturt – bass, double bass, backing vocals

Cheb Nettles – drums, percussion, backing vocals

The official line-up was joined by two guests:

Saskia Maxwell – lead vocals, backing vocals (on the songs "Lunar Invocation" and "Asleep Do We Lay")

Frank Byng – additional percussion (on Choose Your Goddess)

Mine is the KSCOPE1292 version.

"Tiny Galaxies" is the song that opens the album and acts as a perfect bridge between the ironic science fiction of the old Gong and the breath of fresh air of the new line-up.  It is engaging, pressing and direct, with a psychedelic Pop style that has a futuristic touch and recalls the space-psychedelia of the 60s. Kavus Torabi and Fabio Golfetti intertwine guitar embroidery with delay, while synthesizers create an irresistible cosmic carpet.

"My Guitar Is a Spaceship" is a high-energy rock track. The title says it all: using musical instruments to travel among the stars.  The style is energetic Space rock, heavy-psych and accelerated progressive. Cheb Nettles' drums are very precise in tempo changes, distorted guitars scratch the space, while Ian East's sax improvises acid riffs in the background.

"Ship of Ishtar" is the longest track of the first part of the album. It is a mesmerizing composition that explores sensuality and spirituality on a galactic scale. The style is Ambient space rock, drone music and dreamy psychedelic elegy. Fabio Golfetti dominates the track with his splendid glissando guitar, creating floating and soft sound waves. Ian East's flutes and woodwinds fill out the arrangement.

"O, Arcturus" continues the suspended atmosphere of the previous track, but with a more defined and nostalgic, almost melancholic harmonic progression that hits straight to the heart.  It's melodic space rock, late 60s psychedelia. Kavus Torabi sings cleanly, ethereally and harmoniously. The guitars go wild in liquid solos full of vintage psychedelic effects.

"All Clocks Reset" is a very special and surprising song, which perfectly captures the idea of canceling time with its intricate musical patterns.  It is inspired by the Avant-prog and lysergic math-rock style, with a touch of Cardiacs, the historic avant-garde band in which Torabi played.  The rhythm section, with the deep, pulsating bass of Dave Sturt and Cheb Nettles, creates angular and engaging rhythmic grooves.  The pungent guitars dialogue in perfect harmony with Ian East's horns, creating a truly unique sound atmosphere.

"Choose Your Goddess" is an epic song that mixes the power of hard rock with free-jazz improvisations.  It is a mix of psychedelic Avant-metal and avant-garde jazz-core. Dave Sturt gives us an imposing and distorted bass line. The band is accompanied by the percussion and rubbed cymbals of guest Frank Byng, while sax and drums chase each other in a controlled and spectacular cacophony.

"Lunar Invocation" started as an improvised transition between songs during the tours, but in the studio it turned into a magnetic and ritualistic astral prayer.  The style is a mix of psychedelic mantra, atmospheric space-jazz and drone music based on open chords. Guest singer Saskia Maxwell's voice blends seamlessly with Torabi's floating vocal harmonies.  Glissando's spatial guitar textures fill the air, creating a deep sense of collective hypnosis.

"Asleep Do We Lay" is the song that closes the astral journey. A quiet song, which talks about love and letting go, and which introduces us to the next chapter, "Bright Spirit".  It's a mix of dreamy, psychedelic ambient rock and cosmic ballad, all to be listened to. The voice of Kavus Torabi and Saskia Maxwell is like a lullaby, resting on slow guitar chords and wind sounds that gently fade into the silence.

Unending Ascending is an energetic album that mixes space rock, psychedelic progressive rock and jazz fusion. Unlike the previous album, which was a single long suite, this one is made up of shorter, more compact and energetic tracks. The band combines psychedelic pop melodies with a retro flavor with a modern, powerful and crystalline production. The riffs by Kavus Torabi and Fabio Golfetti are hypnotic, full of delay, glissando and spatial effects. Dave Sturt's bass and Cheb Nettles' drums take the music into space-trance and hypnotic funk territories. Ian East's sax and horns break the rock rides with avant-garde improvisations reminiscent of the classic style of Gong in the seventies.

Recommended!

My Version

Label: Kscope – KSCOPE1292
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Worldwide
Release date: Nov 3, 2023

Tracklist

1        Tiny Galaxies
A2        My Guitar Is A Spaceship
A3        Ship Of Ishtar
A4        O, Arcturus
B1        All Clocks Reset
B2        Choose Your Goddess
B3        Lunar Invocation
B4        Asleep Do We Lay

LineUp

Bass Guitar, Vocals [Singing] – Dave Sturt
Drums, Vocals [Singing] – Cheb Nettles
Guitar, Vocals [Singing] – Fabio Golfetti
Recorded By [Saskia's Vocals] – Silas Wynne
Saxophone, Woodwind – Ian East
Vocals [Singing], Guitar – Kavus Torabi

Listening link on the main streaming platforms at the following links:

Streaming Platforms: You can listen to the full suite directly on Spotify or the album is available in high definition audio on Qobuz.

Direct Band Support: If you want to stream songs while supporting musicians directly, you can find the standard version on Bandcamp - Unending Ascending and the extended version on Bandcamp - Special Edition.

Official Multilink Hub: The record label Kscope has set up the collective Gong Linkfire page  that redirects in real time to all music players (including Amazon Music and Deezer) and physical stores for purchase

Note: All links to the musicians’ works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists"