06/11/2014 - Pontus Gunve Is a Finalist for Best of Brooklyn
Pontus Gunve Is a Finalist for Best of Brooklyn
Voting Is Underway Until June 15th
June 11th, 2014, New York, New York – Pontus Gunve and band recently competed in the Brooklyn portion of the Battle of the Boroughs. Impressively, he is one of five finalists for the Best of Brooklyn title. Voting is underway and the winner will join the winners of the other Battle of the Boroughs contests at the Ultimate Battle on June 27th. The winner of that ultimate battle will get bragging rights and prizes - including a showcase appearance at the famed Apollo Theater.
Part of Gunve’s performance at the Brooklyn battle can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrui8DbwCjg. Be sure to check out that video to see what all the fuss is about and then vote. Voting is open until June 15th and votes can be cast via text message (BK5 to 69866) or via the Internet at http://www.thegreenespace.org/story/vote-brooklyns-best-band/.
Pontus Gunve’s music embraces the theory that music is a multi-dimensional experience and an adventure in wordless storytelling that fully absorbs the audience’s mind, body and spirit. Flowing through time and space, the lush sonic textures he creates evoke the ethereal landscapes of other-worldly multi-media artists such as Jean Michel Jarre and Boards of Canada while still clearly inspired by the thick, dark compositional textures of legendary heavy metal bands like Megadeth. And his energy as a guitarist celebrates numerous influences, from the technical proficiency of Steve Vai and the raw, exotic approach of Marty Friedman, to the minimalistic moments created by legendary blues performers. Gunve’s finely-tuned skills in the studio as both a producer and engineer allow him to seamlessly unify many different musical styles and a wide range of instruments into intricately-crafted, mesmerizing recordings resonating with unexpected surprises.
Looking to reviewers can give us more insight into that sound. At Music Street Journal, Jason Hillenburg said of Gunve’s latest disc, “There are few musicians in the mold of Pontus Gunve. Rarely content to rely on the traditional, but instead plundering it for his own uses, Gunve brings a European sensibility to dense, intensely musical instrumentals. His album, The Observer, ranks as one of the most challenging and, ultimately, rewarding releases of the year.” Scott Kahn had this to say of the single “Cavalry of Camels” at MusicPlayers.com: "World Music meets Prog Metal in the latest single from Pontus Gunve. This is big orchestral stuff that rocks thanks to the solid guitar and drums anchoring the complex rhythms. The percussion and string section really give the music its international, ethnic vibe... Melodic, rocking, beautifully produced... I'm not fully sure how we'd categorize it, but we definitely enjoy listening to it." At Mr. Music Chronicles, Larry Toering said, “There is just no describing the sheer quality on offer here. It's something one must hear for themselves to really dig into properly, so it comes highly recommended… I will be not only recommending for years to come, I will be following this artist’s progress from here out.”
Please contact Gary Hill at pr@musicstreetjournal.com for interviews, review copies, photos or any additional information needed.
