Gravity Wave

"Ken's music isn't simply a vessel for his creative, quirky art school styles. No, the Twin Prime Conjecture EP is pretty stellar lo-fi electro pop. Jams like Nectar and Buffalo Jump (the acoustic, bass and ghostly, prairie plains whistle that fill out the beat on the latter sounds terrific) are infectious tracks, but Ken's able to control the pace with slower, brooding numbers like the Britrock-infused Ghost In The Machine."


http://www.herohill.com/2008/07/reviews-gravity-wave-twin-prime_22.htm - Hero Hill

"Just listening to Toronto group Gravity Wave's myspace page does nothing to prepare you for the genius of ringleader Ken Farrell. Although backed by turn tables, funk bass and drums, I hesitate to call Gravity Wave a band. It's more of a concept (a la Japanther). Conceived by Farrell three years ago as an "excuse to do what he wants," Gravity Wave is the product of someone wanting to be entirely rebellious in every possible way to the point of not even seeming like he's rebelling. Not an easy task, but one Farrell has succeeded in doing. I chatted with him outside Gus' and have the most intellectual and insightful conversation I've ever had with an indie-musician."

http://www.thecoast.ca/SceneAndHeard/archives/2009/10/25/hpx-night-five-part-quatre - The Coast

"While admittedly a fan of the Ken Farrell/Tom MacCammon incarnation (if only because they both wore matching naval jackets), the new tracks are beautifully orchestrated and exude a laconic Nick Cave/Tom Waits feeling. "

Chandler Levack - Eye Weekly - Eye Weekly

"Mastermind Ken Farrell is known for high concept performances... For NXNE he and his DJ duo stuck to the music and it worked out fine...

I've always been a fan of Farrell's vocal style. It's hard to describe, but I'll say it's like a desperate, melodic sing-speak. Desperate is the key word there. He always sounds like he's putting his last ounce of strength into his lyrics...

Gravity Wave's ever-evolving line-up seems to have hit on something good with a pair of DJs backing up Farrell with beat samples, record scratches, and even some hype man shouting...

Farrell's haircut demands a mention here. It takes the art school asymmetrical hair cliche to the extreme. The right side of his head and face is shaved down to a buzz while the rest is left to grow, beard included. It sounds horrifying, but the actual result looks pretty cool."

Evan Dickson
http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/71230/gravity-wave-nxne-2009
- CHARTattack.com

This Ken Farrell project played for the last time in their current incarnation as a full band. It was sad to see since it was a Wednesday and the band has garnered some serious attention and the place should’ve been packed. Ultramodern electro pop with a strong groove provided by Finlay Brathwaite on the bass. It seemed every time I turned around Dwight Schenk had a new instrument in his hand ranging from a mean cowbell, a kazoo, something that was neon green and a drum machine of sorts he had to lay on the ground. Kevin Sasaki played a drum machine with sticks and would lunge his body between it and a microphone to provide back up vocals.

Ken is one of a rare breed of singers that finds things to do if he’s not playing an instrument including throwing fireballs into the audience and cutting through the air with a kind of karate chop. I’m glad I was there. The fun they were having on stage transferred to the audience and me. I understand Ken’s got his next plans already in motion including back up synchronized dancing vocalists – can’t wait for that incarnation to come to life. "

http://www.twowaymonologues.com/live-reviews/gravity-wave-plus-more-at-the-boat-weds-june-12th/ - twowaymonologues.com

"Farrell's shows have always made creative use of theatrical elements like video, costumes and dancers. The attention he paid to presentation often made me wish he'd work a little harder on his simplistic pre-recorded computer music. To my delight, he was backed by a full live band including sax and trombone. The musicians brought Gravity Wave's songs to life"

May 30, 2008

- Chart Attack

"Ken has a great unique voice and a stand out rock star confidence about him when he performs, rubber boots and all."
- PanicManual.com

Gravity Wave - November 5th, 2009
Terenga

by Aaron Binder

www.myspace.com/gravywave

It can be tough out there. Finance, agriculture, and even music - it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, indeed it can be tough out there. And it IS tough for anyone that feels the need to succeed. To clock in and out everyday is the easy way out, and for most of us it becomes an inevitable reality; but some people strive to excel beyond the most grounded measures and create a lifestyle that they wish to control.
Ken Farrell, de facto leader of Gravity Wave, is one of those perpetual dreamers, embroiled in a life of art, drama and music. He is actively attempting to improve himself, his craft and his life as a whole by bringing his creation into the minds and ears of listeners across the globe. The project started out as a one day collaboration of musical minds; attempting to write, record and play a whole album live within the span of 24 hours. Some would call that crazy, others insanity; and they would probably be right, but somehow, through the pressure and tension, the project managed to produce. Mr. Farrell had proven himself as a competent band leader.

“I guess I kind of had to start out by proving that I was worth having other people playing with me and following my lead… I programmed a fantasy orchestra for myself on a Playstation, I had a videogame and I made my first record entirely on a videogame.”

This is the type of lateral thinking one comes to expect from Farrell; taking an idea and crafting it until he is satisfied with the results and ready to present the proverbial test results to the trial of human critique. His ultimate goal is to have an orchestra lambasting the population with his notes, passages and compositions. He has been inspired more by the era of classical jazz (Farrell describes it as Ellington with a Lawrence Welk twist) than by any current contemporaries. Quirky, considering the medium of his first composition, but music knows only the boundary of the player.

This speaks an interesting piece about the mind of this young composer, the classics have more merit, and he’d like to continue exploring that avenue. Even though Gravity Wave’s new record, Gambol, features the orchestra he desires, the synthesized version will never be a real, living, breathing, human machine.

“To find something new, obviously there are quite a few directions you can go… where you get that range of dynamics, you get that range of emotion out of a room full of players and you get that feeling of…that physical sensation of feeling the instruments play, not just hearing them play.”

This thought becomes a theme with Farrell, he loves music and he loves recording it, but the thump-thump-thump of a bass through the heart can only be experienced as it should in the presence of a live musician. There are few bands out there that are completely able to rivet an audience with a performance and translate it over to record; Farrell and Gravity Wave have a ways to go before executing this. But, if he continues on the current path, dreams could one day become reality.

It isn’t just strictly music that has an allure to Farrell and the rest of Gravity Wave. Gambol is an album devoted to men, women, sexuality and the future. Much of the album focuses on sexuality and how women are portrayed by men and media and how this is portrayed by Farrell. He has hope for women, in music, in politics and as the future leaders of the world.

Lofty expectations, but they come from someone that has similar aspirations for his career.

“The perfect response to this record would be “Gambol-ing” at the live shows.”

As much gusto, work and energy that has been put into the recorded product, Gravity Wave has and will always be a live band. Every member will tell you that no two shows are alike, and this has gained them a cult following. It doesn’t matter what type of question you ask Farrell, it almost always finds its way back to the live show.

With cd sales declining and new mediums of interaction (Rock Band, iTunes) becoming more prevalent, he may have struck upon a formula that works. Live shows are becoming ever larger productions for even small-time bands, and with many labels beginning to focus on this aspect of the business (especially Fuzzy-Logic, their home) if Gravity Wave is going to are going to rise above the rest of the crowd, that is exactly how they are hoping to do it.

It IS tough out there, but with the right amount of drive, determination and live-show gusto, Gravity Wave may just stand a chance at becoming the next must-see live band in a world of monotony.

Interview

Aaron: This is a pretty recent incarnation of Gravity Wave, you’re the one constant number but you tend to surround yourself with a plethora of talented individuals and professionals, how did the idea for Gravity Wave come about?

Ken: I want to one day have an orchestra. I want to bring that big band - Fazer Magazine

Toronto-based pop tunesmith Ken Farrell shows lots of spunk on his third full-length album. With an apparently ace arranger in tow (Jason Doell), Farrell has crafted an intricate album blending strings, brass, and rock band instruments with subtle electronic flourishes. Sometimes dark and brooding in tone, the album also plays with a brighter, bouncy vibe. - The Scope (St.John's)

Paul Blinov / blinov@vueweekly.com

Gravity Wave's sparse-but-energetic Gambol is promising: the propulsive instrumentation of "Bangs" and "Fishhook" open up the floor for some atmospheric, experimental digi-pop, with the band tossing in soft, warm strings, digital samples or tumbling verses of faux-rap as they see fit. The lyrics lean to the dirty side, and sometimes Gravity Wave tries a little hard on milking that for humour: the one-two deflation of closers "Kumquat" (which really tries to squeeze the word for everything) and "HSGAS" (That's "High School Girls Are Sluts") detract from the cooler musical ideas these guys are getting at.

Gravity Wave
Gambol
(Fuzzy Logic)
- Vue Weekly (Edmonton)