{"id":8338,"date":"2020-07-03T12:01:53","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T11:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.progradar.org\/?p=8338"},"modified":"2026-08-21T15:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:57:39","slug":"gazpacho-the-kings-of-atmospheric-and-affective-rock-return-with-new-album-fireworker-due-for-release-on-kscope-on-18th-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/2020\/07\/03\/gazpacho-the-kings-of-atmospheric-and-affective-rock-return-with-new-album-fireworker-due-for-release-on-kscope-on-18th-september\/","title":{"rendered":"GAZPACHO, THE KINGS OF ATMOSPHERIC AND AFFECTIVE ROCK RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM FIREWORKER – DUE FOR RELEASE ON KSCOPE ON 18TH SEPTEMBER"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For nearly twenty years, Gazpacho have reigned as the kings of atmospheric and affective art rock. That\u2019s certainly no small feat, as the subgenre is full of wonderfully moody, ornate, and emotional artists; yet, none of them manage to achieve the same level of exquisite baroque resonance and hypnotically introspective weight as the Norwegian sextet. As a result, they never fail to provide awe-inspiring examinations of the human condition, and their latest observation, Fireworker<\/em><\/strong>,<\/strong> is no exception. It is undoubtedly among their greatest achievements, as well as one of the most profound pieces of music you\u2019ll hear in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LISTEN TO THE TITLE  TRACK FIREWORKER? HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conceptually, the album follows the band\u2019s tradition of blending grand philosophical quandaries, stimulating literary leanings, and haunting personal turmoil. In a way, it acts as the culmination of the themes and techniques that\u2019ve decorated earlier collections, combining the fatalistic isolation of Night<\/em> and Missa Atropos<\/em>; the ill-fated narrative drama of Tick Tock<\/em> and Soyuz<\/em>; and the hefty theological\/scientific contemplations of Demon<\/em> and Molok<\/em>. Beyond that, its central premise (that humanity has always been controlled by an infallible and omniscient creature determined to propagate at any cost) means that Fireworker <\/em>comes across like the overarching umbrella under which all of its predecessors occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keyboardist Thomas Andersen elucidates: There\u2019s an instinctual part of you that lives inside your mind, separate from your consciousness. I call it the Fireworker or the Lizard or the Space Cowboy.? It\u2019s an eternal and unbroken lifeforce that\u2019s survived every generation, with a new version in each of us. It\u2019s evolved alongside our consciousness, and it can override us and control all of our actions.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to get us to do what it wants, he clarifies, the Fireworker will silence the parts of our mind that feel disgust or remorse so that we\u2019re unable to stop it. The conscious part of our mind, Andersen notes, will actually rationalize and legitimize those thoughts and actions so that we never discover the beast behind-the-scenes. No matter how we feel about ourselves in terms of identity, accomplishments, and value, we\u2019re all just vessels or Sapiens that the creature uses until it no longer needs us. If you play along,<\/em> Andersen explains, It\u2019ll reward you like a puppy and let you feel fantastic; if you don\u2019t, it\u2019ll punish you severely. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Night<\/em>, Fireworker<\/em> is a single trip broken into five chapters but meant to be appreciated all at once. This time, however, Gazpacho\u2019s recurring protagonist is investigating the labyrinthian hive of his own psyche to engage in a Bergman-esque confrontation with the Fireworker.? This journey is even represented by the Wimmelbilder cover, which, as usual, was designed by collaborator Antonio Seijas and depicts the billions of neurons that create the cave of the mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fireworker<\/em> declares its mesmeric dominance right away via Space Cowboy,? a side-long suite whose ominous lyricism ( The parasite \/ That lives in me \/ Murders words \/ From where I stop \/ And it breathes in \/ We\u2019re biting our tail \/ The cycle begins?) is but one of many reasons why it\u2019s among Gazpacho\u2019s greatest compositions. From its heartbreakingly delicate first movement and chaotic centerpiece, to its mournfully symphonic penultimate phase and thunderous outro, it is a masterpiece onto itself, cementing how vivacious, evocative, and imaginative Gazpacho remain after all these years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, the sequence remains just as seductively eccentric and beautiful. In particular, Hourglass is a gorgeous piano ballad that evokes March of Ghosts<\/em> in its fusion of welcoming melodies and gentle orchestral flourishes. That then make way for the feisty layers and catchy hooks of the band\u2019s first single and title track Fireworker.? Fittingly, Antique takes over with angelic mystery and the album closer Sapien,? echoes the dynamic range and epic scope of Space Cowboy,? resulting in an awe-inspiring finale that envelops you in luscious arrangements and poignant existential realizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, Gazpacho\u2019s career has been full of great performances and glowing praise. Outside of issuing three superb live LPs (2010\u2019s A Night at the Loreley<\/em>, 2011\u2019s London<\/em>, and 2015\u2019s Night of the Demon<\/em>), they\u2019ve played festivals such as Be Prog! My Friend, Night of the Prog, Midsummer Prog Festival, and Cruise to the Edge, where they delighted audiences alongside exceptional brethren like iamthemorning, Anathema, Pain of Salvation, Caligula\u2019s Horse, Riverside, The Neal Morse Band, and Steve Hackett. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, their records have been met with similarly enthusiastic reception; for instance, their previous statement, 2018\u2019s Soyuz<\/em>,earned superlative accolades from publications such as PROG<\/em>, Echoes and Dust<\/em> and Louder than War<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fireworker <\/em>is truly life-changing experience, so you would be wise to turn off all of the lights, clear your mind as best you can, and prepare to meet the Fireworker.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 FIREWORKER tracklisting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Space Cowboy [19:43] <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Hourglass [04:15] <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Fireworker [04:41] <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Antique [06:24] <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Sapien [15:22]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fireworker<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>will be released on Kscope on 18th<\/sup> September, on CD, a gatefold 2LP on 180g black vinyl  (3 sides audio, 1 side art etching) and digitally (digital pre-orders receive the title track Fireworker as an instant download) and is available to pre-order <\/strong>HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GAZPACHO LIVE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, due to the current covid-19 situation the band\u2019s European and UK dates scheduled for October 2020 have been postponed to October 2021, but as the band didn\u2019t want to disappoint their fans Gazpacho are planning to play Fireworker<\/em><\/strong> in its entirety via a livestream, alongside a Q&A about the concept plus will play a few favourites from their repertoire. Details of the streaming event and the rescheduled tour will follow soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, they suggest, you should internalize the record as much as possible to eventually research your own Space Cowboy.? Anderson adds: It\u2019s an attempt at a safe way of looking at something highly dangerous because the animal does not understand music or poetry. We\u2019re trying to outsmart it by writing around it, as music can go places words can\u2019t and there\u2019s a magic to it all.<\/em> .
Gazpacho are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Andersen \u2013 keyboards, programming<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan-Henrik Ohme \u2013 vocals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jon-Arne Vibo \u2013 guitars<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mikael Kr?mer \u2013 violin, additional guitars<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristian Fido? Torp \u2013 bass<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert R Johansen \u2013 drums<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For nearly twenty years, Gazpacho have reigned as the kings of atmospheric and affective art rock. That\u2019s certainly no small feat, as the subgenre is full of wonderfully moody, ornate, and emotional artists; yet, none of them manage to achieve the same level of exquisite baroque resonance and hypnotically introspective weight as the Norwegian sextet. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,8,7],"tags":[4066,3895,304,1104],"class_list":["post-8338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-news","category-new-album-releases","category-news","tag-fireworker","tag-for-the-lost-pr","tag-gazpacho","tag-kscope"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phnn7q-2au","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/progradar.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Gazpacho_for_print-.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8338"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17515,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8338\/revisions\/17515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progradar.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}