Legendary psychedelic collective Gong mark a decade since the release of their album I See You with a brand-new 10th Anniversary Edition on Kscope
Out on 9th May, this new edition has been remixed from the original multi-track recordings by Frank Byng, producer and sound engineer of the last four Gong albums.
Few albums in Gong’s discography capture the band’s whimsical, irreverent take on life’s complexities and the enigma of death as vividly as 2014’s I See You. This milestone reissue celebrates not only the existential beauty of Gong’s music, but also the enduring legacy of frontman and visionary Daevid Allen, whose boundless creativity continues to resonate with fans worldwide. I See You was the final studio album featuring Allen before his passing in 2015 and stands as a testament to his vibrant spirit and revolutionary ethos. Infused with the anarchic energy that defined Gong’s origins in the 1968 Paris counterculture movement, I See You takes its place as one of the finest gems in the band’s heroic catalogue.
For I See You, Allen was joined by his son Orlando Allen on drums, and members of the current lineup: guitarist and frontman Kavus Torabi (formerly of Cardiacs), horn player Ian East, Dave Sturt (the sonic manipulator) on bass, and the Brazilian Fabio Golfetti, weaving his own lysergic patterns on guitar.
“Daevid Allen’s final album, I See You is such a transitional Gong record in so many ways, not that any of us realised it at the time,” saidKavus Torabi“Work on the album had just commenced around the time I was asked to join and Daevid was in fine health but by the time we were at the mixing stage he was undergoing intense treatment for his cancer which would ultimately prove unsuccessful. As you can imagine, the record was completed under extremely fraught circumstances, very different to the upbeat way it started. Getting it over the line was not an especially joyful process. Decisions needed to be made under a great deal of pressure and, with emotions running high, they weren’t always the right ones. Nonetheless, I’m so happy Daevid got to hear it completed, that he loved it and that we got to put it out into the world.
“When, during his final months, Daevid expressed his desire for the band he had assembled to continue without him we felt pretty uncertain about the prospect. Yet here we are after ten years of constant touring, three studio albums (with a fourth on the way) and a double live album later, looking back at the record which launched the current incarnation of this wonderful mythology.
“Hearing Frank Byng’s remarkable new mix, thankfully completed without time constraints, has brought an increased sonic clarity which accentuates the eccentric psychedelic majesty of the original release. I was moved to tears hearing it. For me, this is the definitive version of I See You, the record I always hoped it would be.”
Available as a double black vinyl LP, on CD and digitally, the 10-year anniversary edition of I See You can be ordered via Kscope here.
GONG MAY UK TOUR DATES
21 – York, UK – The Crescent
22 – Huddersfield, UK – The Parish
23 – Allendale, UK – Allendale Village Hall
25 – Liverpool, UK – Outer Waves Festival (Invisible Wind Factory)
GONG AUGUST UK TOUR DATES
29 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Psych Festival
30 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Psych Festival
Tickets are available here.
