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Gong — Bright Spirit
(Kscope 3061 / 1304, 2026, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-04-30

Bright Spirit Cover art

With the Gong reins now firmly in the hands of a new generation, it’s clear that the members are not only well-versed in the band’s history but have assimilated it to the point where they can make new original music that is entirely within the spirit of the heights of decades past. Bright Spirit is not just a modern interpretation of the musical ideas underlying the Planet Gong era, but a translation of those ideas into modern terms, providing fodder both for nostalgia and hopeful innovation. The current five-piece lineup of Ian East (woodwinds), Fabio Golfetti (guitar, vocals), Cheb Nettles (drums, vocals), Dave Sturt (bass), and Kavus Torabi (vocals, guitars, synths) is a powerhouse of trippy energy informed by space rock, jazz, and electronic music that can Gong with the best of them, whether it’s hypnotic riffs, quirky songs, or spaced-out interludes. East’s saxes play off the dual guitars while Sturt and Nettles bring both the funk and the rock in their inventive grooves. A tune like “Mantivule” has it all, taking echoing guitar riffs, funky bass, insistent drums, trippy glissando guitar, and melodic saxes for a ride, then crashing into a series of tricky unison accents that would make a fusion band ecstatic. Six and a half minutes of perfection. I really don’t know what more a Gong fan could ask for, and the music is so appealing and accessible that new listeners will feel at home (and feel compelled to investigate the back catalog). Surely by now any scepticism about the post Daevid Allen version of the band has been left in the dust, and this band is outstanding by any measure, outside of time and space into a realm of glorious grooves.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Gong, Kavus Torabi

More info
http://gongband.bandcamp.com/album/bright-spirit-4

 

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