In a recent interview, Dave Sturt, bassist of Gong, reflects on the band’s evolution and creative process.

Sturt emphasizes Gong’s natural alignment with freedom, compassion, and joyful expression, values that seamlessly influence their music. He highlights Daevid Allen’s inspiring message to explore new musical frontiers, a directive that has propelled Gong into uncharted territories with resounding success. Looking ahead, Sturt envisions Gong continuing to transcend musical boundaries, driven by a passion to explore the vast expanses of the universe, both macro and micro.

“It almost feels as though we are only just beginning”

Could you please share some insights into the collaborative songwriting and recording process within Gong? How do the diverse backgrounds and influences of each member contribute to the creative dynamic of the group?

Dave Sturt: There is a confidence and focus within this band that I’ve never experienced before. Away from the band, we are all leaders, composers, and performers in other projects, but when we come together as Gong, we become a really strong unit. We share responsibilities and all contribute to the creative process. All of our tracks are composed when we are together in the rehearsal room. Whenever we are touring, there is always talk about the next album—what it will be about, its shape, its sound—so when we gather for composition days, we all have a focus. Generally, we start with a chord structure or a riff, and we play it round and round, adding ideas, trying different approaches, until a shape emerges from the formless clay. Then it’s honed, added to, reformed, rearranged, and eventually becomes whole. Often, Kavus will make up lyrics during this process—as a guide—but increasingly, the words he comes up with make it onto the final recording. I am always amazed at his ability to channel that higher plane of creativity.

The current lineup of Gong, including members Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East, and Cheb Nettles, has remained stable for eight years. How does this continuity contribute to the band’s cohesion and evolution?

I’ve been in the band for 15 years now—I’m sure that must be the longest time anyone has managed to hang on to this ship sailing through restless seas. In that time, I’ve seen the older custodians die or leave and the newer cohort gradually join. It’s been a fascinating journey, and over the past eight years, the ship has set a course in a clear direction. The cohesion in the band is increasing, and the vision is strengthening. It almost feels as though we are only just beginning. Every album, every gig is a step forward and upward, and we are all looking forward to continuing for many years to come.

We last spoke when you released ‘Rejoice! I’m Dead!’ and I would like to ask about ‘The Universe Also Collapses’ and the most recent album, ‘Unending Ascending’. What were the main ideas behind these two albums?

‘Rejoice! I’m Dead’ was mostly a reflection on Daevid’s death and an opportunity for us to find our own direction. We had a much clearer direction by the time we began composing ‘The Universe Also Collapses’ … we knew it needed to be psychedelic, inspiring, impressionistic, and also a new departure. The underlying theme of the album is the nature of time: the idea that all of time is happening in one single moment … “there is only now.” The album features two extended pieces, ‘Forever Reoccurring’ and ‘My Sawtooth Wake,’ both of which became fixtures in subsequent live shows.

The initial idea behind ‘Unending Ascending’ was that we wanted the album to be more fun, with shorter tracks and a retro-futurist vibe. The first track to really set the tone for the album was ‘My Guitar is a Spaceship’ … a 9/4 levitating riff with uplifting lyrics and a mind-twisting melody to end. We played many of the tracks live before recording the album, so we knew what we had was really working. It became clear that we should also include some longer, more reflective tracks, as we do in our live sets, so ‘Ship of Ishtar’ and ‘Lunar Invocation’ came into being.

I believe your live performances play a vital part in your band’s identity. Could you tell us about your recent live album, ‘Pulsing Signals’?

We toured the UK in … with Ed Wynne (of Ozric Tentacles) supporting. Ed had arranged for a guy to record some of the gigs, and we agreed to let him record us as well. I was sent the recordings, but we were really busy and there wasn’t much enthusiasm to do a live album at that time, so they languished on my shelf. Then Covid hit … all of our tours were cancelled … so I decided to check the recordings out and realized that they had captured some really special performances. So, I spent a few months compiling the tracks and then we got Frank Byng to mix them. The first time I listened to the vinyl test pressing at a friend’s house, I realized that we had something really special … listening to it really felt exactly as it sounds to me while playing onstage … such a fantastic vibe.

How do you balance remaining true to the original Gong ethos while also pushing the boundaries and exploring new territories in your music?

To be honest, we don’t think about it. We all naturally fit into the spirit of freedom, compassion, love, and joyful expression, which feeds into the music we make. Daevid’s final message to us encouraged us to take Gong into areas that he would never dream of. I’m sure he would be extremely pleased to see where we’ve gotten to and where we’re going.