Pure Reason Revolution (PRR) is a British
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
group formed at the
University of Westminster
, mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength
, type = Public
, established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster
, endowment = £5.1 million ...
in 2003. Their music incorporates elements of
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
and
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
. Their music has been variously described as 'Astral Folk' and '
Progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
'. Members have a shared appreciation for the work of bands such as
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
,
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
,
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
,
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
,
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
and
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
.
History
The Sunset Sound
Pure Reason Revolution began life as a
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
group named The Sunset Sound, which featured the Courtney brothers,
Chloë Alper and, for a short while, Jim Dobson. The Courtney brothers had previously played with pop punk guitar band Gel, which was scouted and signed by
Seymour Stein
Seymour Stein (born April 18, 1942) is an American entrepreneur and music executive. He co-founded Sire Records and was Vice President of Warner Bros. Records. With Sire, Stein signed bands that became central to the new wave era of the 1970s ...
, the founder of
Sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
. Alper used to front
Period Pains, who scored a hit with an anti-
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
song in 1997.
The band was completed by Tom Leathes (
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
) and Bob Cooper (
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
). Debut single "Moving" picked up radio airplay on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
(where the band was championed by alternative-music guru
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academy ...
), XFM and LA's KROQ.
Pure Reason Revolution
Courtney J, Dobson and Jong met at the
University of Westminster
, mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength
, type = Public
, established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster
, endowment = £5.1 million ...
2000 - 2003 and went through a number of name changes before settling on Pure Reason Revolution (PRR), including "The Wow" and "Pendulum Dawn".
The band signed to
Alan McGee
Alan John McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for ''The Guardian''. He co-founded the independent Creation Records label, r ...
's
Poptones
Poptones was a record label launched by Alan McGee after the demise of Creation Records in 1999. Its roster included The Hives, January, Arnold, Cherrystones, King Biscuit Time, Thee Unstrung, The Boxer Rebellion, Beachbuggy, Pure Reason Re ...
label for a one-off release of "Apprentice of the Universe" (peaking at No. 74 in a national chart).
Signing to
SonyBMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout ...
in autumn 2004, the following year saw the band releasing two singles - the 12-minute-long ''Bright Ambassadors of Morning'' (the title is from a line in
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
's ''Echoes'' on the ''
Meddle
''Meddle'' is the sixth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released by Harvest Records. The album was produced between the band's touring commitments, from January to August 1971 at a series of locations around London, including EM ...
'' album), and ''The Intention Craft'' - plus one mini-album, ''Cautionary Tales for the Brave''. This was released to make up for delays in recording that meant the band would miss its original launch window. The use of so many of the proposed album tracks on a mini-album led the band to develop some new material for the album, including "The Twyncyn/Trembling Willows". Releases were on the band's own Holograph imprint, via SonyBMG.
In March 2005, the band played the
South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
festival in Austin, Texas, before playing several North American dates, and they regularly played on the British club circuit. During this time, PRR supported
Mew,
Hope of the States
Hope of the States were an English post rock-influenced indie band from Chichester.
History
The band formed in 2000, naming themselves after ''The Shame of the States'', Albert Deutsch's 1948 book on the state of mental healthcare in the Uni ...
,
Secret Machines
Secret Machines are an American alternative rock band, originally from Dallas, Texas, United States, before moving to New York City. The original lineup consisted of two brothers, Brandon (vocals, bass guitar and keyboards) and Benjamin Curtis ( ...
, and
Oceansize
Oceansize were an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart (vocals, guitar), Steve Durose (guitar, backing vocals), Richard "Gambler" Ingram (guitar, keyboards), Mark Heron (drums) and Jon Ellis (bass ...
, as well as headlining their own gigs and recorded sessions for
Mark Radcliffe's Radio Two show and
XFM. In spring 2005, Jong left the band, to be replaced by another Westminster pal Jamie Willcox, though it is Jong's work featured on recorded output up to, and including, ''The Dark Third''. Both Jong and Willcox receive credits on the album ''The Dark Third''.
The band sometimes allowed fans to listen to streaming material via its MySpace website, including works in progress and exclusive Christmas tracks.
The first album, ''The Dark Third'' was released in the UK on 10 April 2006, and was produced by
Paul Northfield
Paul Northfield is a prolific British record producer and sound engineer, who has worked on albums by bands such as Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Rush, Porcupine Tree and Suicidal Tendencies.
Northfield worked at Advision Studio, London from 197 ...
(
Rush,
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
,
Gentle Giant
Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of their members. All of the band members were multi-inst ...
,
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
). A US version of the album containing the original, pre-''Cautionary Tales'' mooted track listing and amended artwork was released in the U.S. on 25 July 2006.
In summer 2006, with his wife,
Susanne Courtney, being pregnant with their first child, Andrew Courtney left the band. He was replaced by Paul Glover, formerly of the band Wire Jesus.
Jim Dobson then left the band in November 2006. Although there was no formal announcement regarding his departure, a notice on the band's forum explained that nothing more could be said, for "legal reasons".
With sales from The Dark Third being significantly less than expected, the band were dropped from Sony/BMG in December 2006.
On 16 February 2007, the European version was released under licence to
InsideOut Music
Inside Out Music is a German independent record label originally based in Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles. In 2009, it formed a partnership with Century Me ...
.
Pure Reason Revolution supported
Blackfield
Blackfield is a collaborative music project by the English musician and founder of Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, and Israeli rock singer Aviv Geffen. Together, six albums have been released under the moniker. The first two records, ''Black ...
on their European tour in February 2007. This was their first support tour with new drummer Paul Glover. Their live set had few changes, one of which was a reworked reprise of the album bonus track "Golden Clothes", in which all band members played synthesizers and end singing
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
.
Following the tour, the band began recording the follow-up to ''The Dark Third''. In June, the band journeyed to the US again to play at the 2007 edition of the renowned progressive/art rock festival
NEARfest
The North East Art Rock Festival, or NEARfest for short, was a multi-day event celebrating the resurgence of progressive and eclectic music in the United States and around the world. The event was held annually in early summer in Bethlehem, Pennsy ...
, as well as at three other clubs. These shows saw the debut of a new song called "Deus Ex Machina". Pure Reason Revolution also opened for
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
on their 'Tour Of A Blank Planet' European tour in June/July 2007.
The band also played a hastily arranged gig at Leicester (the Square) 9 April 2007, and just one more full UK date on 15 October at Southampton University.
The band released a 4-track EP of "Victorious Cupid" on ORG Records on 14 April 2008, accompanied by a one-off London show on 12 April 2008. The band played another one off show at the Camden Barfly on 31 July 2008 which was followed by a ten-date mini-tour of Europe. This included a set in Bonn, Germany, which was recorded for German TV network WDR and will be broadcast in February 2009. Shows are also scheduled for the Eclipsed Magazine festival at Colos-Saal, Germany on 22 November 2008 and at London's Cargo on 26 November 2008. A live album entitled ''
Live at NEARfest 2007'' was released on 20 June 2008.
In April 2008 the band signed to German label
Superball Music for the release of their next album, about which manager Jonathan Cooke made the following statement: "It was refreshing to find a situation that combines the artist commitment and enthusiasm of an indie with the ambition of a major. Signing a longer-term deal with Superball Music for album 2 onwards was an easy decision to make". On 28 November 2008 they confirmed their second album would be titled ''
Amor Vincit Omnia'' and would be released on 9 March 2009.
On 5 March 2009, the band began their most extensive tour to date, comprising about 12 concerts in the UK and approximately 22 in mainland Europe. The band were track of the week on ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' Radio and track of the day in ''
Classic Rock Magazine
''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...
'' - which also featured a double-page spread on the band in their quarterly prog-rock issue. A single from the album, "Deus Ex Machina", was released as a download only on 24 March 2009. Promo-CDs with three versions of the single were distributed at gigs on the 2009 tour.
Recent material was considerably more electronic, a departure from their more dreamy, classic-prog style of ''The Dark Third''. According to ''
Organ'' magazine, "Pure Reason Revolution are such a strange band...they're a mating of angelic prog rock harmony in the style of Yes, and old school Man Parrish hip hop style stripped down Justice electro funk. This actually works."
The change of style has been reflected in ''Amor Vincit Omnia''s artwork, designed entirely by bassist/vocalist Chloe Alper, which is darker and less spacey, whilst remaining surreal and symbolic.
The band completed its third studio album, entitled ''Hammer and Anvil'', released via Superball Music on 15 October 2010 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and 18 October in the rest of Europe. The new music continued the dark, electronic themes of ''Amor Vincit Omnia'', and was partially inspired by themes of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
II. According to ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, e ...
'', "the band have retained most of their heavy hooks to create a great crossover record. A track like 'Last Man Last Round' will fit into many Pendulum fans' heads, whereas their progressive elements are still prevalent in 'Open Insurrection'". The album was co-written and co-produced by Courtney and
Tom Bellamy
Thomas Rhys Bellamy is a British musician. He is the multi-instrumentalist responsible for contributing guitar, bass, synthesizer, keyboards, trumpet, programming, samples, melodica, harmonica, percussion, toy piano, bowed guitar, decks, FX/bea ...
.
The band played a series of live shows in London, Germany and the Netherlands during summer 2010, a short tour in Europe and the UK in November and December, and another mini-tour in Germany in February 2011. A one-off concert at London Scala marked the band's biggest headline gig to date, and included contributions from Tom Bellamy and the string section of
Clean Bandit
Clean Bandit are an English electronic music group, formed in Cambridge in 2008. They have had four number 1 hits and ten top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart. They direct and produce their own music videos, many of which have been nominated for ...
, as well as one of the first performances of "Bullitts Dominae" (a fan favourite which had previously not been played live).
On 9 August 2011, the band announced that they were splitting up, with final shows in the UK in November 2011. On 5 November 2011, the band released the EP, ''Valour''.
Reunion
On 12 October 2018, Pure Reason Revolution were announced as co-headliners of the Midsummer Prog Festival to be held in June 2019 at the Openluchtheater, Valkenburg, Netherlands. Jon Courtney and Chloe Alper were the only members of the band to return. They released a new album, ''Eupnea'', in April 2020 on InsideOut, which was stylistically closer to their first release. The band were also scheduled to appear at "Prog in the Park" as part of the Ramblin Man Fair in
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, England on 18 July 2020.
![PRR Photo 1 by GregJong w credit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/PRR_Photo_1_by_GregJong_w_credit.jpg)
The band are next releasing ''Above Cirrus'' on 6 May 2022 on InsideOutMusic. Courtney and Alper are joined by Greg Jong, who has re-joined the band.
Critical reaction
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s.
Born and raised ...
has given the band a favourable review.
Members
*
Jon Courtney
Jon Courtney is a British singer, guitarist, and keyboard player, of the rock band Pure Reason Revolution. He was also the sole songwriter (except " The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" credited to Courtney/Jong) on their first two albums. Out ...
– vocals, guitars, keyboards
*
Chloë Alper – vocals, bass guitars, keyboard
*Greg Jong – vocals, guitars (2003–2005, 2021-current)
*Jamie Willcox – vocals, guitars (2005–2011)
*Paul Glover – drums (2006–2011)
*Jim Dobson – keyboards, bass guitar, violin, guitars, vocals (2003–2006)
*Andrew Courtney – drums (2003–2006)
Live
In April 2022 Pure Reason went on tour with the artrock band
Gazpacho
Gazpacho (; ) or Gaspacho (), also called Andalusian gazpacho, is a cold soup and drink made of raw, blended vegetables. It originated in the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula and spread into other areas. Gazpacho is widely eaten in S ...
. The live band consists of the current touring members:
*
Jon Courtney
Jon Courtney is a British singer, guitarist, and keyboard player, of the rock band Pure Reason Revolution. He was also the sole songwriter (except " The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" credited to Courtney/Jong) on their first two albums. Out ...
/Vocals,guitars,keyboards
* Greg Jong /Guitars, vocals
* Annicke Shireen /Vocals, keyboards (current member of
Heilung
Heilung is an experimental folk music band made up of members from Denmark, Norway, and Germany. Their music is based on texts and runic inscriptions from Germanic peoples of the Iron Age, and Viking Age. Heilung describe their music as "amplifie ...
and bandleader of Shireen)
* Michael Lucas /Drums
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
The Dark Third
''The Dark Third'' is the first full-length album by Pure Reason Revolution. It was produced by Paul Northfield ( Rush, Porcupine Tree, Gentle Giant, Hole) and recorded at Fairhazel Studios and later RAK studios. An earlier single " Apprentice o ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Amor Vincit Omnia'' (2009)
* ''
Hammer and Anvil
The hammer and anvil is a military tactic involving the use of two primary forces, one to pin down an enemy, and the other to smash or defeat the opponent with an encirclement maneuver. It may involve a frontal assault by one part of the force, p ...
'' (2010)
* ''Eupnea'' (2020)
* ''Above Cirrus'' (2022)
Live albums
* ''
Live at NEARfest 2007'' (2008)
Extended plays
* ''
Cautionary Tales for the Brave'' (2005)
* ''Valour EP'' (2011)
Singles
* "
Apprentice of the Universe" (2004)
* "
The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" (2005)
* "The Intention Craft" (2005)
* "Victorious Cupid" (2007)
* "Deus Ex Machina" (2009)
* "Valour" (2011)
* "Silent Genesis" (2020)
* "New Obsession" (2020)
* "Ghosts & Typhoons" (2020)
* "New Kind of Evil" (2022)
* "Phantoms" (2022)
* "Dead Butterfly" (2022)
Videos
* "Live At Scala - 09.12.10" (2011)
References
External links
PRR official websitePRR official Bandcamp sitePRR myspace sitePRR Forum (unofficial)Hammer and Anvil Review at UnRated MagazinePure Reason Revolution Live Review by DailyMusicGuide.com (A Cody)
{{Authority control
English rock music groups
English progressive rock groups
Musical groups from Reading, Berkshire
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups disestablished in 2011
Superball Music artists