Kavus Torabi on October By Name: From Dream-States to the Magic of the Love Song

As he drops his surreal new single “My Shameful Namesake,” the psych-rock polymath discusses shedding his youthful self-consciousness to embrace absolute lyrical vulnerability.

In the kaleidoscopic landscape of British psychedelia, Kavus Torabi stands as a primary architect, a polymath whose DNA is woven into the fabric of Gong, Cardiacs, and the modular explorations of The Utopia Strong. For Torabi, the current decade has been one of extraordinary “alchemical charge,” a period where staggering artistic prolificacy has been mirrored by deep personal turbulence.

This friction has birthed October By Name, a solo milestone that finds him stretching his creative coordinates into uncharted territories. Shimmering with the wisdom of a veteran pathfinder, the album bridges a lifetime of avant-garde history with a vibrant, newfound sense of clarity.

‘My Shameful Namesake’: A Visual and Sonic Descent

The arrival of “My Shameful Namesake,” the second single from the upcoming LP, provides a vital window into the surreal and transcendental landscape Torabi has cultivated. The track occupies a space within the great lineage of British psychedelic pathfinders—evoking the eccentric, melodic brilliance of Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock, and Julian Cope.

Official Music Video for ‘My Shameful Namesake’ – Video by Drain Hope, Camera by Michael J York

At its heart, the song is a bittersweet yet optimistic reverie—a signature of the Torabi aesthetic. Lyrically, it grapples with the heavy machinery of existence, questioning whether we are merely “playing out the consequences of our genes, insecurities, and childhood damage.” Yet, even amidst this philosophical weight, Torabi pivots toward the light. “I have to believe change is possible because, honestly, what’s the point in anything if it isn’t?” he asks. This tension between deterministic shadow and the possibility of evolution serves as the perfect thematic gateway to the album’s origins.

From Dreams to Alchemy: The Origins of ‘October By Name’

For Torabi, the subconscious is the ultimate creative director. The title October By Name was gifted to him in a dream, and he treats such transmissions with absolute reverence. “If you can’t trust your subconscious, who can you trust?” he notes. This trust has led to a record that represents a major evolution in his modus operandi, triggered by a recursive loop of influence.

While his work with Gong and Cardiacs provides structural complexity and space-rock scope, the improvisational freedom of The Utopia Strong sparked a new epiphany. Three decades after he first heard Cardiacs and realized the rules of music could be rewritten, Torabi has reached a similar turning point where all his disparate styles converge. This has resulted in a work that is markedly more “beatific” and “optimistic” than the intense, purgative energy of his previous solo outing, The Banishing. It is an evolution from the purging of demons toward the manifestation of light.

The Evolution of the Love Song: Beyond Psychedelia

Perhaps the most radical departure on the new record is Torabi’s embrace of the love song. In tracks like “Signals Shine” and “In Her Radiance,” he leans into what he calls “luminous glory.” To the average songwriter, a love song is standard fare; for Torabi, it is a frontier he was previously too guarded to cross.

He reflects on the shift with a critic’s eye for personal growth, noting that in his twenties, he was “far too self-conscious and critical” to attempt romantic verse, finding that “writing about being on acid made much more sense” at the time. Now, viewing the world with the perspective of experience, he has shed that youthful self-consciousness. This newfound lyrical vulnerability—treating romantic connection with the same visionary intensity he once reserved for chemical exploration—marks a significant maturation of his artistic voice.

Creative Solipsism: The DIY Model and the Solo Trilogy

October By Name is the final installment of a dedicated solo trilogy, adhering to the strict “solipsistic” production model Torabi established with his solo debut, Hip To The Jag. This approach allows him to retreat into a creative bubble, ensuring the music remains a pure, unadulterated distillation of his internal world.

This DIY Model is Absolute

Torabi records and performs every single part He limits himself entirely to the instruments physically available in his room. Every piece of artwork and lettering is hand-drawn by the artist himself.

Rather than viewing technical limitations as hurdles, Torabi celebrates them. He allows his “shortcomings”—his non-session-player approach to drumming or his idiosyncratic hand-lettering—to define the record’s unique identity. “The way I play drums or hand-letter, sing, or mix becomes the thing,” he asserts. This total immersion ensures that the trilogy concludes with a work that is as deeply personal as it is profound.

UK Tour Dates: Experience the Transcendental Live

If you’re in the UK, you’re lucky because to experience October By Name is to witness a master operating at the height of his powers. Seeing this DIY material performed live across the United Kingdom offers a rare opportunity to step inside the bubble and witness these transcendental compositions in their most immediate form.

• 10/08 – BOURNEMOUTH @ The Underground
• 10/09 – BRIGHTON @ Daltons
• 10/10 – GLASTONBURY @ King Arthur
• 10/11 – HEREFORD @ De Koffie Pot
• 10/13 – STRATFORD UPON AVON @ Stratford Sound Pathways
• 10/14 – NOTTINGHAM @ Billy Bootleggers
• 10/15 – MANCHESTER @ The Yard
• 10/16 – MOLD @ VOD Music (Free Entry)
• 10/17 – NORTHUMBERLAND @ Sinderhope High Forest Community Centre
• 10/18 – EDINBURGH @ Speakeasy Voodoo Rooms
• 10/19 – GLASGOW @ Nice N Sleazy
• 10/21 – BRISTOL @ Cube Cinema
• 10/22 – SWANSEA @ Down By Here
• 10/23 – LONDON @ West Hampstead Arts