Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 44

Thread: The Utopia Strong

  1. #1

    The Utopia Strong

    New Kavus Torabi project, in collaboration with Mike York (Coil/Guapo) and all-time snooker legend Steve Davis is already out and it is beautiful. Space electronica of a very moving, meditative nature that reminds primarily of the early electronic pioneers like Cluster, Popol Vuh, Battiato, Terry Riley than anything that came in the field after the 80's. With the exception of Brainsurgeons, which I would take as a homage to the dance scene of the 90's.

    Listen and buy here https://theutopiastrong.bandcamp.com...-utopia-strong

  2. #2
    It's really brilliant...agree with all those artists mentioned. In addition, Harmonia particularly came to mind for me. My copy is on the way so I've just been listening on Bandcamp so far. But it's a very easy album to love

    Matt.

  3. #3
    Thank you for the kind words.
    A couple of fun facts. None of the album was recorded to a click or even a grid and most of the instruments, with the exception of modular synth, electric bass/ guitar and Rhodes, are acoustic.
    The original session that the album was built from was merely three mono tracks.
    Steve and Mike both had mono sends from all their modules and I had a mic which I would move from my guitar amp to harmonium during the original performance.

    This meant that some curious problem solving ended up dictating the final outcome of the tunes. For instance during Brainsurgeons 3 there was a big, shocking jump in volume as Steve brought in a particular synth line.
    Normally, with everything recorded separately, this could be tamed or muted afterwards but in this case it would have meant losing everything else on that input including the drums and a throbbing bass. Because the music was constantly changing we couldn’t just copy and paste something from later on to smooth it over.
    Instead we had to match the intensity of that jump by overdubbing bagpipes, guitars etc to smooth it out, thus pushing us in a direction we wouldn’t have necessarily gone in.
    Other than using the computer to record the performances, we pretty much made the album in a very old fashioned way. Almost all the percussion is played.
    The ‘snare’ in Konta Chorus is me shaking a metal tray full of cutlery, a la Judas Priest’s Metal Gods.

    What was especially refreshing was having as long as we needed to make it. We didn’t sort a record deal until the entire thing was mixed. Usually, certainly with Gong and Knifeworld, there’s a deadline and tour booked months in advance to coincide with the release. Things can get pretty heated, knowing that everything has to be delivered by a particular point.
    There was none of this with The Utopia Strong, so we really got to spend a lot of time listening and building the record in a very measured way.
    Last edited by Kavus Torabi; 09-16-2019 at 05:13 AM.

  4. #4
    It's a great album. I notice a huge Sowiesoso and early Heldon influence, very well embeded in a modern post rockish atmosphere. Instant purchase!
    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  5. #5
    Member chalkpie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Hudson Valley, NY
    Posts
    8,193
    New Kavus stuff and new Bob stuff....good times we live in.
    If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.

    "And it's only the giving
    That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson

  6. #6
    It's bloody brilliant indeed and i'll be endeavoring to see them at the Deaf Institute in Dec.

    On the radio show front: I know that The Fire Shuffle is still a monthly proposition, but what happened with Interesting Alternative?

  7. #7
    Hi! I can answer that.
    As Steve and I became far more active as actual DJ’s (playing festivals/ clubs etc) at the weekends, the schlep to Essex late on Monday evening, every week, started to become something of a drag.
    Then Gong got very busy and between that and Steve’s schedule we couldn’t really make it work any more.

    The NTS show is great. It has a different energy because it’s during the day with a proper producer and the station is walking distance from my pad, which helps. Effectively it’s a similar show, though.

    Having it monthly also helps us really pack the two hours with essential music.

    Fun fact that you probably know-
    Michael J York out of The Utopia Strong is Also in Current 93!

  8. #8
    Ah ok i was just wondering if IA was scuppered by some higher up who didn't appreciate you playing 30+ minute Swans tracks
    Fun fact that you probably know-
    Michael J York out of The Utopia Strong is Also in Current 93!
    I didn't know that!, but given the incestous nature of the whole Coil, Nurse With Wound, C93 thing i suppose i shouldn't be surprised. Have you read Englands Hidden Reverse? It sheds a considerable light over the 80's experimental underground scene even if you have little interest in a lot of the music itself. David Tibet in particular has come a long way since his early-80's noise fetishist stuff.

  9. #9

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by loosefish View Post
    Have you read Englands Hidden Reverse?
    Not yet, although I’ve flicked through it but, funnily enough, The Utopia Strong were playing a festival a couple of weeks ago where David Keenan was doing a q&a and we bonded enormously.
    I spent the whole weekend with him, putting the world to rights and talking a lot about music. He is opinionated, forthright and passionate...exactly my kind of person.
    I’ve read his novel This Is Memorial Device but having now met him I’m going to get on board with England’s Hidden Reverse.

  11. #11
    Finally a record of mine that my wife digs...

  12. #12
    Member Mascodagama's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    7th Circle of Brexit
    Posts
    2,150
    Quote Originally Posted by Zappathustra View Post
    Finally a record of mine that my wife digs...
    You've got her on the slippery slope now. Give it six months and she'll be trawling the 'net for Flying Luttenbachers bootlegs.
    “your ognna pay pay with my wrath of ballbat”

    Bandcamp Profile

  13. #13
    Member interbellum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Xymphonia-city
    Posts
    4,603
    Quote Originally Posted by Zappathustra View Post
    New Kavus Torabi project, in collaboration with Mike York (Coil/Guapo) and all-time snooker legend Steve Davis is already out and it is beautiful. Space electronica of a very moving, meditative nature that reminds primarily of the early electronic pioneers like Cluster, Popol Vuh, Battiato, Terry Riley than anything that came in the field after the 80's. With the exception of Brainsurgeons, which I would take as a homage to the dance scene of the 90's.

    Listen and buy here https://theutopiastrong.bandcamp.com...-utopia-strong
    The Utopia Strong-CD is being reviewed in the October-edition of Electronic Sound (nr. 57), which I've never bought until now. As you can see it includes a Japan-special.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Mascodagama View Post
    You've got her on the slippery slope now. Give it six months and she'll be trawling the 'net for Flying Luttenbachers bootlegs.
    I swear to god that if FL was playing somewhere central we would have made it. We were wild. Hackney killed it. But I have booked Magma in Stockholm, so this is the real deal. Chances of a successful evening are minimal, but who cares?

  15. #15
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Coventry, UK
    Posts
    247
    I wandered into one of my local Vinyl stores (Just Dropped In records in Coventry) and they were playing some fantastic music over the in store PA that I was going to ask about (And buy). I picked up this record when I saw it (I was going to get it anyway) and the chap told me it was what he was playing and that it was good. He'd also sold a few copies as well.

    It's fantastic. It's been my soundtrack for the few days while writing a) software and b) a horror story.

  16. #16
    Kavus- somewhere in the last few days I read an article about this project with Steve and Mike, though I cannot recall where, sorry! But for sure the article made the work sound amazing, and sure enough, well, it is.

    (PS, Found an older review you wrote about seeing Magma, which really described them the way I would have as well- beyond belief).
    I'm not lazy. I just work so fast I'm always done.

  17. #17
    Member thedunno's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    2,119
    Although this type of music isn't really my thing I am turning quickly into a big fan of this album.

    Hell - might in fact turn into my favorite Kavus release!

    I would love to see this live. Any hope for some shows across the pond?

  18. #18
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    717
    bought this just because I like the people involved, had no idea what it was gonna sound like and wasn't expecting this at all. I like it a lot.
    Critter Jams "album of the week" blog: http://critterjams.wordpress.com

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by thedunno View Post
    I would love to see this live. Any hope for some shows across the pond?
    Who knows? Hope is very much the word.
    I’ve been on this topic before but touring the US for a British band is just so much harder than it was fifteen years ago.
    We had a Gong with Steve Hillage tour all mapped out for earlier this year which ended up having to be abandoned due to the cost of Visas.

    Knifeworld had a very generous offer from Progday a couple of years ago (although to be fair, an eight piece band is very prohibitive) which, because of visas, we couldn’t make work.

    So regarding The Utopia Strong, let’s see. A trio is a much easier unit to tour with and we have been getting a lot of very good press and radio play. The album just entered the UK indie charts at 31, so that’s Prog Gold for me!

    I’ve no idea how this will translate in the US, but without my singing ruining everything, it does seem to have a wider appeal than what I normally do!

  20. #20
    ^I think he meant the other side of the pond. The one you can reach by train. (if Netherlands is valid as a location)

  21. #21
    Ah! Well in that case, yes. It does look increasingly likely.

  22. #22
    Member thedunno's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    2,119
    Quote Originally Posted by Kavus Torabi View Post
    Ah! Well in that case, yes. It does look increasingly likely.
    yay!

  23. #23
    Well, I just finished listening to my orange vinyl copy that arrived from Wayside. Very nice, trippy, spacey stuff. I dig it.

    Kavus — what a pleasure it is to have you around, man. I hope I can meet you one day.

  24. #24
    Thank you! That was just what I needed to read this morning.

    Well, although I’m just a straggler at the end of the 20th Century party, I’m not planning on stopping this ‘music thing’ anytime soon so, fingers crossed, our paths may likely cross eventually.

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Kavus Torabi View Post
    Thank you! That was just what I needed to read this morning.



    Quote Originally Posted by Kavus Torabi View Post
    Well, although I’m just a straggler at the end of the 20th Century party, I’m not planning on stopping this ‘music thing’ anytime soon so, fingers crossed, our paths may likely cross eventually.
    I do hope so. I finally have a passport, so that's one less hurdle in making it to some of those overseas music festivals/shows. But be forewarned: I may ask you to autograph my copy of The Unravelling.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •