The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast · Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

PEL Presents NEM#249: Kavus Torabi Now Leads Gong

·1 hr 32 min·3 clips

The unexpected passage of power: how a London math rocker became the voice of a legendary 60s prog empire.

Kavus Torabi made his name in London's math rock scene with Monsoon Bassoon in the 1990s before joining Cardiacs in their final lineup. After Cardiacs leader Tim Smith's health crisis ended that band, Torabi formed solo project Knife World and joined legendary prog band Gong in 2014. When Gong founder David Allen passed away after one album, Torabi became the band's leader with Allen's blessing, releasing six albums including 2025's Bright Spirit Holics. The interview centers on three tracks: Stars in Heaven from the new Gong album, Send Him Seaworthy from Knife World's 2014 album The Unraveling, and references to his 1998 Monsoon Bassoon breakthrough single Wiseguy. Torabi currently focuses on three main projects: Gong, his solo work, and the Utopia Strong with retired snooker champion Steve Davis. Stars in Heaven originated from Gong drummer Cheb Nettles, though Torabi modified the vocal melody and wrote lyrics with universal, hymn-like language about grabbing life despite cold loneliness. Torabi explains his compositional approach to odd time signatures, emphasizing he writes naturally in fives, sevens, and unusual meters but wants them to groove rather than sound deliberately obtuse like some prog. He uses the "dirty trick" of key modulation sparingly, shifting Stars in Heaven from E to F for the final section. Send Him Seaworthy explicitly documents Tim Smith's "half-life" following his health crisis, using nautical imagery Torabi frequently employs despite not being a sailor. The Knife World era saw him writing highly arranged eight-piece compositions influenced by Henry Cow, Magma, XTC, and British band Madness's sophisticated pop arrangements. Joining Gong forced Torabi to abandon the autobiographical lyrics he used in Knife World, instead adopting mystical and psychedelic themes about mortality and otherworldly visions that fit Gong's legacy without copying David Allen's humorous wordplay. He's increasingly drawn to romantic, hymn-like language with deliberate ambiguity. Torabi cites XTC's Colin Moulding as his favorite bassist, composing bass lines last to change songs' harmonic colors, though in Gong he generally lets bassist Dave Sturt develop his own parts. The conversation reveals technical and financial challenges of touring Knife World's eight-piece lineup with woodwind section, frequently frustrated by sound engineers unfamiliar with instruments like bassoon. Torabi credits influences including Van der Graaf Generator, Mothers of Invention's Uncle Meat, and Universe Zero's use of bassoon, which he incorporated through bassoonist Chloe Harrington. The discussion style is detailed and technical, with Torabi analyzing compositional choices, arrangement decisions, and performance challenges. This episode suits musicians interested in prog rock composition, band leadership transitions, and navigating artistic identity across multiple projects. It also appeals to fans of Gong's legacy, Cardiacs' influence on British progressive music, and understanding how odd time signatures can serve groove rather than complexity for its own sake.

As heard by us

A career-spanning look at inheritance, arrangement, and the challenge of making ambitious music work on stage.

Kavas Torabi's route from Monsoon Bassoon to Gong gives the piece its backbone, with songs used to map a career marked by handoffs, sidesteps, and reinvention.

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Why you'd press play

You get the line from Monsoon Bassoon to Gong, plus the live-sound headache behind it.

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