media

Reviews can be found here.

Beyond The Gift reviews:

"Back in 1999, I first came across the music of Imaginary Band (still love that name), which was impressive enough as it was. Moving on from that though, the single permanent member Duncan has evolved musically & we have one of the most impressive releases perhaps made in 2000 thus far. There's a real depth style wise as well as in each individual song. The opener "I'll Have What He Had" is one of the real standouts, with a very catchy feel, while second track in "Don't Let Me Inside", as noted in the bio, has a feel not unlike some of the slower silverchair songs. Coming in 3rd in the tracklisting is a great electronic pop track called "Faerytale Lessons" which has a Depeche Mode sort of vibe, while "Perfect Spy" also reminded me of that band, more of a softer sort of Personal Jesus vibe. Filling out the rest of the album are some other stunning numbers, such as "A.I.", which has a very cool lead in, as does the title track. Surprising me right at the end of the album is a brilliant unlisted number which is a very well constructed pop song, though others like "You'll Never Know" & "Closer To The Moment" also need mention. This is one very good album that should get a lot more exposure than it probably will - make the effort, the music here is not imaginary." hEARd online music magazine, October 2000.

http:// www.heard.com.au

Interactive Message Board - http://www.educate.net.au/~hmag/mboard

"Tasmanian act Imaginary Band has developed his talent through three EPs before his debut album Beyond the Gift.A mix of guitar-driven band performances and moody programmed solo tracks, the album is melodic, personal and diverse.The punchy pop of I'll Have What He Had (featured recently on JJJ) and mix of flute and insistent guitar of I Am Seeing it are strong examples of the band side of the project; the immaculately produced piano and bass groove of You'll Never Know and aching slow beat of Closer to the Moment show Imaginary Band is equally adept when reaching for atmosphere.Beyond the Gift is a work of a burgeoning talent. If not in the shops, it's available at www.imaginaryband.com" The Mercury, Hobart, October 2000

Space Invaders reviews:

A very interesting sound, coming from this Tasmanian based outfit, driven by singer/songwriter Duncan, who sits alongside a couple of other musicians in this wonderfully named band, who have already had a couple of earlier releases & some airplay on a suprising amount of radio as well as providing material for the new mp3.com.au site.

This is an interesting 3 track single & features both some nice sampling & some even better rock influenced electro-rock sounds which are performed with both great original songwriting as well as good performances. While the title track is the focal point for the single, it's the closing number "Electromagnetic Supersoulfrightening" that got me in, with both the good lyrics & the melodies themselves. I look forward to hearing some more from the band in the near future - hEARd Magazine, October 1999

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~hmag

Interactive Message Board - http://www.educate.net.au/~hmag/mboard

Imaginary Band are pretty much that: an imaginary band. Consisting of a Tasmanian songwriter called Duncan, the sound of his third CD release "space invaders" is very ambitious. Taking a large rock symphonic feel somewhat part Radiohead, part Alex Lloyd and part Queen, the title track opens up with a nice atmospheric feel, complete with what seems to be a 50's sci-fi outtake and a grand synth brass intro.

One complaint would be that Imaginary Band tries to be too overambitious at times. The sound is a bit uncomfortable, perhaps a little too uptight. What needs to be done is to mellow things out: build more atmosphere into their sound. A very bold sojourn for an totally independent artist, it'll be interesting what he'll bring out next - OzMusic Project - November 1999, OzMusic Project - the definitive Australian Music Resource

OzMusic Project

http://www.ozmusicproject.net/magazine/cd/ imaginary_band.html

The Fable reviews:

Proudly stating both their independence and their Tasmanian origins, the inappropriately named Stun Gun is the brainchild of Duncan, who wrote, arranged and produced this deliciously atmospheric bit of balladry. Largely played by machines, but programmed with subtlety and insight, the lead track is not too far away from the likes of My Friend the Chocolate Cake in mood and texture, although the sounds here are biased towards electronica. The other tracks here reveal a high inventiveness level; well worth investigating - In Press Magazine, October 1997

This Tasmanian indie bunch have a sprawling atmospheric feel which is perfect for late-night listening. Now we all get the idea that the Apple Isle is inhabited by a bunch of Deliverance freaks, but this really demonstrates some of the buried talent down there. The Goblin Remix won't set the dancefloor on fire, but that's the idea. Stun Gun are living up to their name here by showering you with deceptively seductive rhythms, engaging vocals and a lush feel. If this is a debut release, it's one hell of a strong effort. If not, it'd be great to come across more Stun Gun releases -Time Off Magazine, October 1997

Encouragement award this issue goes to Stun Gun (aka Duncan). This singer/songwriter from Tasmania has been composing for the last three years and has now notched up 60 songs to his name. Three of those are represented here. "Closer to the Moment" is the standout with its David Sylvian-styled delivery over a sparse backing not unlike Depeche Mode. Classy and promising.- Richard Kingsmill, Rolling Stone, October 1997

Stun Gun experiment with different type of song: Tyrannical kings and queens, a song as a dying Father's last gift to his son, freeing a fantasy land of its narrow thoughts - not the usual subject matter modern lyrics revolve around. But that's exactly the premise which Hobart-based musician STUN GUN (alias Duncan) has been experimenting with - The Advocate, October 1997