‘John Frum’ is the latest eruption from Gyratory System and its unique brand of ‘mind-bogglingly brilliant bonkers electronica’ (Huw Stephens, 1FM).
Live wind and brass instruments are meshed seamlessly with heavily processed electronics to bring us a musical account of the Messiah-figure ‘John Frum’, whose return is eagerly awaited on the South Pacific island of Tanna, Vanuatu.
A trace of the West German proto-electronica of Kluster/Harmonia can be detected in the track, perhaps if they were playing along with their Nigerian Afrobeat 1970s contemporaries.
The single is the first preview of material from the band’s third album, ‘Utility Music’, to which producer Andrew Blick is applying the finishing touches, working with band members Robin Blick and James Weaver.
The b-side to ‘John Frum’ is the frenetic ‘1968’, while the physical release (limited to 100 copies), contains non-digital exclusive tracks.