What does Gus Ferguson sound like?

Chamber music with a brutalistic approach.

The review of ‘Requiem for Gaza’ by Gus Ferguson

Gus Ferguson has led a varied life. In the 80’s and 90’s, he toured with Dead Can Dance, Test Dept, ICU, and many other bands, providing his string skills to the bands. Then, Gus moved into sound installations for Scottish events before becoming a Buddhist monk in 2003. Now, he lives in Kathmandu, Nepal, teaching music to young monks and orphaned children. It’s with that backdrop that his EP ‘Requiem for Gaza’ hits so hard.

This release is described as a “Neo-Brutalist triptych for Chamber Orchestra, Choir, Piano & Metal Ensemble”, and it is just that. ‘Requiem for Gaza’ does not hold back with its sparse use of spoken word and militant, taut, yet impassioned string arrangements that pierce through the speakers and into your soul. The opening track, ‘Slaughter Inc.’, reminds me very slightly of Requiem for a Dream. It has the same foreboding, menacing tone to every string pull, and as tensions rise, each stab feels like a new wound uncovered. It includes a few lines of spoken dialogue, with the closing sentence really hitting home. “I’m never going to forget the sound of a drone emitting a crying baby so it can massacre children who come out of their homes.” This isn’t a pleasant listen, but a confronting one.

From there, ‘Hazn | Qahr’ moves into a solemn piano-led piece, at least initially. Slowly, the chamber orchestra takes over, until it moves into a skittish string-led section, backed up by a quite synthetic-sounding choir. Where the programmed strings sound sublime, the choir is less convincing and has a keyboardy synth haze to it. It works nicely as a softener to the lamenting strings that delicately balance sadness and mourning. That leads us into ‘From the Ashes’ as a more stately finale. Here, added brass and a marching dirge lead the way, like a stately rendition of a national anthem after falling from a battle. Again, the wind and brass instruments are a little thin, leaving the track feeling like a weakening of spirit, rather than a triumphant rise. I think both of these tracks suffer slightly from the sheer intensity of the opening track. Thematically, as a triptych, Gus Ferguson does nail the three-part story format. Slaughter, mourning, and regroup.

If you enjoy Neo-Brutalist chamber orchestrations, this is a concise and powerful story, told in under 12 minutes. The bold narrative expression of the opening is certainly most memorable, but the arrangements work well if you don’t mind a few side instruments sounding a little synthetic in places. I hope this gives some people hope, in what must feel like a hopeless time, as the sombre yet tentatively uplifting closing track leaves a new chapter ready to begin.

Recommended track: Slaughter Inc.

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