Pure Reason Revolution
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | The Sunset Sound |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Jon Courtney, Greg Jong, Chloë Alper, Jim Dobson (briefly) |
| Defunct | 2011 (initial disbandment) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2018 |
| Headquarters | Reading, Berkshire , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, Europe, North America |
Key people | Jon Courtney, Chloë Alper, Greg Jong |
| Products | Progressive rock music albums and singles |
| Website | www |
Pure Reason Revolution is a British rock ensemble established at the University of Westminster in 2003. Their sound fuses elements of progressive rock with electronic music. The band members acknowledge inspirations such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Nirvana, Justice, Kraftwerk, and Fleetwood Mac.
Origins as The Sunset Sound
Initially known as The Sunset Sound, Pure Reason Revolution began in Reading, Berkshire with the Courtney brothers, Chloë Alper, and briefly Jim Dobson. Prior to this, the Courtney siblings were part of the pop punk group Gel, which was signed by Seymour Stein, founder of Sire. Meanwhile, Alper led Period Pains, recognized for their 1997 anti-Spice Girls single.
The lineup grew to include Tom Leathes on vocals and guitar, alongside Bob Cooper on bass guitar. Their first single, "Moving," received airplay on stations such as BBC Radio 1—where Steve Lamacq supported it—XFM, and Los Angeles’ KROQ.
Band Formation
Courtney J. Dobson and Greg Jong connected during their time at the University of Westminster from 2000 to 2003. After experimenting with several names including The Wow and Pendulum Dawn, they ultimately adopted the name Pure Reason Revolution (PRR).
They initially signed with Alan McGee's Poptones label for a one-time release of "Apprentice of the Universe," which reached No. 74 on national charts. Later in 2004, they secured a deal with SonyBMG, releasing two singles—the 12-minute "Bright Ambassadors of Morning," titled after a line from Pink Floyd's Echoes, and "The Intention Craft"—alongside the mini-album Cautionary Tales for the Brave to address recording delays. These releases appeared under their Holograph imprint through SonyBMG.
In March 2005, PRR performed at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, followed by tours across North America and frequent club shows in the UK. They supported bands such as Mew, Hope of the States, Secret Machines, and Oceansize, headlined their own concerts, and recorded sessions for Mark Radcliffe’s Radio Two program and XFM. Greg Jong departed in spring 2005 and was succeeded by Jamie Willcox; both musicians are credited on The Dark Third. The band also shared music through MySpace streaming.
Their debut album, The Dark Third, produced by Paul Northfield—known for work with Rush and Porcupine Tree—was released in the UK on 10 April 2006. A US edition featuring the original tracklist followed on 25 July 2006. During summer 2006, drummer Andrew Courtney left due to family reasons and was replaced by Paul Glover, formerly of Wire Jesus. Jim Dobson exited in November 2006 without an official statement due to legal constraints.
After underwhelming sales, Sony/BMG dropped PRR in December 2006. Subsequently, on 16 February 2007, InsideOut Music acquired European distribution rights. With new drummer Glover and revamped live arrangements, PRR supported Blackfield on their European tour.
Following this tour, work began on their sophomore album. In June 2007, they appeared at NEARfest in the US and served as opening act for Porcupine Tree’s European tour. Limited UK performances took place in April and October 2007.
On 14 April 2008, PRR issued a four-track EP featuring "Victorious Cupid" via ORG Records, accompanied by a live show in London. A singular Camden Barfly performance occurred in July before embarking on a ten-date European mini-tour that included a televised appearance in Bonn, Germany. Additional gigs comprised participation in the Eclipsed Magazine festival and a show at London's Cargo venue. A live album titled Live at NEARfest 2007 was released on 20 June 2008.
In April 2008, PRR inked a deal with German label Superball Music for upcoming projects. Manager Jonathan Cooke emphasized the label’s unique combination of indie artist dedication with major-label aspirations. Their second full-length album, Amor Vincit Omnia, was slated for release on 9 March 2009.
Starting on 5 March 2009, PRR embarked on their most extensive tour so far—comprising approximately twelve UK shows alongside twenty-two dates across continental Europe. They garnered significant media exposure: named track of the week on Kerrang! Radio and track of the day in Classic Rock Magazine, which featured them in a double-page article. The single "Deus Ex Machina" became available as a digital download on 24 March 2009.
Musically, the band shifted toward incorporating more electronic sounds, moving away from the ethereal prog rock style characteristic of their debut album. Organ magazine highlighted their distinctive fusion of progressive rock harmonies with electro-funk elements. The darker visual theme of Amor Vincit Omnia, crafted by bassist and vocalist Chloe Alper, mirrored this stylistic change.
Their third studio effort, Hammer and Anvil, released through Superball Music on 15 October 2010 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—and three days later throughout Europe—continued exploring darker electronic motifs inspired partly by World Wars I and II. Rock Sound commended its crossover potential that blended strong hooks with progressive influences. The album was co-written and co-produced by Courtney along with Tom Bellamy.
During summer 2010, PRR toured London as well as Germany and the Netherlands; further European and UK tours followed later that year; a German mini-tour took place in February 2011. Their largest headline concert at London Scala featured guest appearances from Tom Bellamy and Clean Bandit's string ensemble.
On 9 August 2011, PRR announced their disbandment with final UK performances scheduled for November. On 5 November 2011, they released an EP titled Valour.
Reunion
On 12 October 2018, it was announced that Pure Reason Revolution would serve as co-headliners for the Midsummer Prog Festival scheduled for June 2019 at the Openluchtheater in Valkenburg, Netherlands. Jon Courtney and Chloe Alper were the sole original members to return. In April 2020, they released Eupnea through InsideOut, a work that stylistically aligns more closely with their initial album. The band was also booked to perform at "Prog in the Park" during Ramblin Man Fair in Maidstone, Kent, England on 18 July 2020.
Above Cirrus followed on 6 May 2022 via InsideOutMusic, featuring Courtney and Alper alongside returning member Greg Jong.
In the year 2024, Coming Up to Consciousness was released with Courtney and Jong continuing their collaboration, this time without Alper and introducing new vocalist Annicke Shireen.
Critical reaction
Rick Wakeman has expressed positive opinions about the band, emphasizing their significant influence on contemporary progressive rock.
Members
Current Studio
- Jon Courtney – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Greg Jong – vocals, guitar (2003–2005, 2021–present)
Former
- Chloë Alper – vocals, bass, keyboards
- Jamie Willcox – vocals, guitar (2005–2011)
- Paul Glover – drums (2006–2011)
- Jim Dobson – keyboards, bass, violin, guitar, vocals (2003–2006)
- Andrew Courtney – drums (2003–2006)
Live
The live ensemble comprises current touring musicians:
- Jon Courtney – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Greg Jong – guitar, vocals
- Annicke Shireen – vocals, keyboards (also a member of Heilung and leader of Shireen)
- Ravi Kesavaram – drums (associated with My Vitriol)
- Ingo Jetten – bass, guitar, vocals (from Lesoir)
Studio albums
- The Dark Third (2006)
- Amor Vincit Omnia (2009)
- Hammer and Anvil (2010)
- Eupnea (2020)
- Above Cirrus (2022)
- Coming Up to Consciousness (2024)
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" (2008)
- "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)
- "Dig Till You Die" (2024)
- "Useless Animal" (2024)
Videos
- "Live at Scala – 09.12.10" (2011)