Single Gun Theory
Flow River Of My Soul
Nettwerk / Semaphore

Re-released in 1996 with a green cover instead of the original blue, and a *bonus* 6 track CD of their TripleJ Live At The Wireless recordings, Flow River Of My Soul is more than ever worth the $30 price tag one must invariably pay for it (the group being Australian, underhyped and all). For those who haven't heard of Single Gun Theory before, their music is electronic and sample-based, but it is neither dance, nor ambient. Their closest peers are probably groups like Enigma, Strawpeople or Deep Forest in this respect, but with the silken, liquid, vocals of Kath / Jacqueline Hunt, they create a consistent sound that is almost spiritual, and all their own.

Drawing from a colourful palette of classical and indigenous sounds, as well as the twisted cacophany of pop culture, SGT create a blend of music that is uplifting, optimistic and ultimately, impressive. A brilliant audio collage of dialogue cut and pasted from such diverse sources as Twin Peaks, the Twilight Zone, Pope John 23rd's dying words, Robert Oppenheimer's "Now I become death, destroyer of worlds," and the Apollo 8 mission tapes. But it is the amazing lyrical drive of their songs that attracts me to SGT. In their previous album, Like Stars In My Hands, they poetically wound their way through such socio-policitical themes as cold war paranoia, nuclear brinksmanship and western fears of communism and Islam. This time round they concentrate more on the interpersonal and metaphysical, singing about love and seperation, to the spiritual nature of the soul, consciousness, existence and understanding.

In other words, SGT go beyond the catchy beats and phrasing of most modern music, to present ideas and themes that quietly impress themselves into your mind with an ease of grace that defies any preconceptions you may have of drum-machines and sample based music. Put simply, their sounds are truly beautiful, touching some deep chord within, resonating and amplifying until your heart sighs to the languid beat. Never highbrow nor pretentious, it remains powerful, evocative and accessible by all. The bittersweet melodys imperceptibly grow on you, and carry you away with a gentle rustling, reminding me at least of chilly summer mornings, thin sunlight filtering through the air, cutting through the layers of dust in my room. Steal it if you can't afford it.

Copyright © 1996 Eugene Chew