Gong's 'I See You' Celebrates 10 Years with Newly Remixed Audio Reissue

 

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. A decade later sees a brand-new 10th Anniversary Edition on Kscope, set for release on May 9th. The new edition has been remixed from the original multi-track recordings by Frank Byng, producer and sound engineer of the last four Gong albums.

This 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 Daevid 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 catalog. 

Gong guitarist Kavus Torabi issued the following statement: “Daevid Allen's final album, I See You is such a transitional Gong record in so many ways, not that any of us realized it at the time. 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.” 

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. The result is an impressive, multi-layered and irrepressible world, populated with a series of dazzling musical gems - melodically rich, lyrically engaging and musically refreshed.

Pre-order I See You.

Gong continues to carry the torch ignited by Daevid Allen with a tour of the UK and North America planned for Summer 2025 - 

MAY

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)

JUNE

06 – Albuquerque, NM – Sister

07 – Colorado Springs, CO – Lulu's Downtown

08 – Denver, CO – The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues

10 – Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room

11 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club

13 – Yakima, WA – Bearded Monkey Music

14 – Seattle, WA – Rainier Arts Centre (Cascadence Festival)

15 – Portland, OR – McMenamins White Eagle Saloon

16 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall

18 – Redding, CA – The Dip

19 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall

21 – Studio City, CA – The Baked Potato

22 – Studio City, CA – The Baked Potato

23 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer

25 – San Marcos, CA – The Bornemann Theatre

26 – Phoenix, AZ

27 – Tucson, AZ

28 – Flagstaff, AZ – The Orpheum Theatre

AUGUST

29 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Psych Festival

30 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Psych Festival

For tickets, go to gongband.com/shows/