AnneCarlini.com Home
 
  Giveaways!
  Insider Gossip
  Monthly Hot Picks
  Book Reviews
  CD Reviews
  Concert Reviews
  DVD Reviews
  Game Reviews
  Movie Reviews
  Check Out The NEW Anne Carlini Productions!
  [NEW] Belouis Some (2024)
  [NEW] Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel (2024)
  [NEW] Mark Ruffalo (‘Poor Things’)
  [NEW] Paul Giamatti (‘The Holdovers’)
  [NEW] Crystal Gayle
  [NEW] Ellen Foley
  Gotham Knights [David Russo - Composer]
  The Home of WAXEN WARES Candles!
  Michigan Siding Company for ALL Your Outdoor Needs
  MTU Hypnosis for ALL your Day-To-Day Needs!
  COMMENTS FROM EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE READERS!


©2024 annecarlini.com
Ghost Canyon

Title - Guano Junction
Artist - The Gong Farmers

For those unaware, The Gong Farmers are principally two musicians, Mark Graham (vocals, synths and guitar) and Andrew Keeling (classical guitar, piano, organ and flute), along with friends and colleagues.

Formed in 2018 following a visit to an Irish Castle, the band name was suggested by reading about the activities of the medieval gong farmers.

From 2020 to 2021 the band worked on a second album, Guano Junction. Continuing both the connective thematic elements and themes of love and loss found on the first album, Ship of Fools, released in 2019, Guano Junction explores darker areas of musical and human experience.

Alongside Mark Graham and Andrew Keeling (Robert Fripp, David Cross, Tim Bowness) it features David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator), Alex Che (Modern Eon, Che), Cliff Hewitt (Modern Eon, Apollo 440), Noko (Apollo 440), Martin Walker (Nth Ascension, Thruaglas Darkly), Brian Taylor (This Is Awkward, Thruaglas Darkly), Ricardo Odriozola (Judge Smith), Dutch percussionist Rene Van Commenee and guitarist Ben Keeling.

1. As Sunlight Falls 1
2. Drive
3. Pip, Squeak and Wilfred 1
4. Guano Junction 3
5. Evergreen
6. As Sunlight Falls 2
7. Vista De Toledo
8. Guano Junction 2
9. Wednesday Afternoon
10. Shave!
11. Winter Hill
12. Dark Skies
13. Pip, Squeak and Wilfred 2

This quite opulent new album open on the translucent caress of As Sunlight Falls 1 and the gently fervent Drive and backs those up seamlessly with the swirling cascade of introspective ambiance within Pip, Squeak and Wilfred 1, percussion and woodwind coming together, combining their funky, soulful grooves for Guano Junction 3, and then the hand of Mother Nature comes to the fore on the synth-waved Evergreen, which is backed by the pure, unadulterated violin elegance of the instrumental As Sunlight Falls 2.

Next up is the dulcet cinescape, complete with breathy vocals of Vista De Toledo (aka View of Toledo aka the ancient hill city of Toledo in Spain) and the achingly poignant arc and ebb of the instrumental Guano Junction 2, which are in turn followed by the shimmering funky twirls found within Wednesday Afternoon, the short, and jangly Shave!, the meditative, almost ethereal Winter Hill, the album rounding out on the pointed elegance of the highly atmospheric Dark Skies, coming to a close on the almost cinematic, pulsating, string-imbibed Pip, Squeak and Wilfred 2.

As far as the meaning behind the Gong Farmers new album, Andrew Keeling has this to say, “There is little actually visible but, as in Ship of Fools, there are allusions to love and loss lying just beneath the surface. The title was conceived by Mark mainly in response to Sue Keeling’s cover painting.”

Mark Graham also commented, “The title came in a flash. It’s perfect for a band of disparate and physically distanced musicians bringing all kinds of musical influences and trading as the Gong Farmers.”

Guano Junction actually came from songs and pieces which had lain dormant for some period of time. For example, before leaving the UK for Ireland, Andrew wrote and recorded several small-scale classical guitar loops and piano pieces.

Unlike some of his longer classical pieces, these small-scale pieces were difficult to place because, in effect, they were sonic sketches for something unknown. When Mark suggested that they might consider a second album, these pieces were some of the first to be utilized.

Says Andrew, “Mark usually writes the songs and I concentrate on the pieces but, unlike Ship of Fools, here there was an inversion. Also, we were most fortunate to have input from friends.”

“Alex Che and Cliff Hewitt – both formerly with Modern Eon – did a huge amount to make the album what it is. Noko 440 wrote a splendid string arrangement for Pip, Squeak and Wilfred – a song inspired by Mark’s chance discovery of his father’s war medals – and David Jackson, who’d played on Ship of Fools, provided fine sax playing.”

“My former band colleagues from Thruaglas Darkly, Martin Walker and Brian Taylor, gave their time selflessly and Ricardo Odriozola, Rene Van Commenee and my grandson, Ben Keeling, wrote and played on other pieces.”

“As previously implied, nor is it just Mark and I who are the writers: we encourage all those collaborating at any one time to have a free hand in the writing process.”

In the end, the duo had more songs/music than they used.

In closing Andrew has this to say about the album, “Beyond the general concepts of love and loss, each listener is likely to project their own meaning onto the music. Besides, each song concerns itself with a different subject.”

Mark adds, “I’d like to thank listeners for their time and attention and I hope our music rewards repeated listening and finds a place in their hearts.”

Mark is currently writing new songs with a view to recording demos to present to the others for a possible third album.

Official Purchase Link

Official Website

The Gong Farmers @ Facebook

The Gong Farmers - Dark Skies [Official Music Video]

The Gong Farmers - Drive [Official Music Video]

www.spaceward.co.uk





...Archives