Pure Assassins – the killer album, ‘Questions’ answered 25 November.
What happens when a Generation X drum and bass hedonist picks up a guitar and embraces existentialism? Listen to ‘Questions’ the killer debut album by Pure Assassins released 25 November 2022 [self-release] to find out.
Like many of those who came of age in the 90s, Chris Rush has experienced the extremes of the party lifestyle. The multi-instrumentalist and producer behind Pure Assassins cut his teeth as one of the forerunners in the exploding drum and bass scene and although he enjoyed success as part of Calyx, it would be rock music that became his weapon of choice.
With Calyx, Chris achieved multiple releases on iconic Drum n Bass labels such as Moving Shadow, 31 Records, Rugged Vinyl and numerous plays on Radio 1, Kiss FM by DJs such as Grooverider and John Peel. As a DJ, Chris toured Europe during dance music’s 90s heyday.
After several EPs and singles as Pure Assassins, Rush decided it was time to develop an album that brought together his many influences and musical preferences. As Chris says, “I decided not to limit myself with this album and, within reason, to go with first instincts to keep the creative process open and free from too much self-analysis/criticism. If the song felt like it needed a gospel choir, despite being a dirty guitar/synth rock groove then I was going to try it! I feel like this approach has produced some of the most emotionally connected and personal music I’ve ever made. I also surprised myself many times with the final outcome of a track”.
‘Questions’ is a record that showcases Chris Rush’s visionary rock, a sound that will have listeners reaching for the volume and cranking their systems. Lyrically, Chris has pondered meaning in love and life, but infused with both reverence and saltiness.
This isn’t nihilism, ‘Questions’ from Pure Assassins represents a search both for answers and for what is real and trustworthy in an age of uncertainty and paradigm shifts.
Personal thoughts on the album:
During 2020 I’d been releasing singles and at the end of the year I wrote and recorded the track Questions really quickly, I pretty much had a download of the whole thing including the guitar solo on a dog walk! For some reason I suddenly felt like that was the first and title track of an album. Lyrically it felt like a great starting point for an album that was going to explore a lot of my own Questions.
Having only recorded EPs and singles before, making an album felt like the challenge I needed in 2020, it also felt long overdue for me to take on a bigger body of work that allowed me to explore some deeper subjects.
The album was written and recorded over 2021, mainly as a solo venture, but with some remote collaboration with Tom Hooper on drums using some clever software that allowed us to literally work in near real-time remotely and with Pablo Uccellotore replaying bass on over half the album. I also worked remotely with some brass musicians and a small gospel choir, it was a real buzz working out the parts for a choir to sing, another first!
I wanted to allow my influences and personal musical journey to be allowed to come through in a natural way. There are tracks that definitely include flavours I would’ve used when making a Drum n Bass track back in the late 90s but stay true to the alt-rock sound of Pure Assassins, it feels seamless to me to mix those genres.
