ABOUT / JANUARY '08

Since 2004 Andrew Phillips has been creating music under the name Purge. Technically a solo venture, there are however collaborators and partners in crime. The Purge ethos has so far been very much one of D.I.Y. The first few self-released demo disks (`Freudian Slip` (2005), `Hikikomori` (2005), a `Live` demo (2006), With/Without (2006) ) largely served as sketches, figuring out how to work with and embrace the quirks and limitations (as well as the benefits) of budget home recording.

In 2006 a three-piece live band was formed and Purge played a handful of hometown shows that summer. Some of these were a success, one was a farce and the others were somewhere in-between. The time has come to think about assembling another band, and finding new ways to create live versions of the tracks.

After signing to Forgotten Empire Records (USA) in March last year, Purge's debut album `THIRST` was recorded during June, July, August and was released this winter. It has a runtime of 39 minutes and is the most fully realised version of the Purge vision so far. Featuring a culmination and development of the varied style that has been developed over the previous self-released disks, the music varies in temperament across the album and in individual tracks, yet retains a coherent atmosphere throughout.

As far as influences go, no one wants to put themselves in a hole with a Pigeon, that's for other people to decide on. Musical ones are evident enough from the recordings. Plenty of other things have influenced the recording of THIRST and its predecessors, from films to people, places, thoughts, experiences, reflections, books, you name it.

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