UK project PURPLE is the creative moniker of composer and musician Dan Hodgson. He started creating music to be released using this artistic name in 2007. As of 2013 three full length albums have been released by him, all of them downloadable for free from his website. “Body:Mind:Spirit” is the third of these, and was issued in 2012.
So far Hodgson has had something of a mathematical, logical structure going with his albums. His first one consisted of a single composition consisting of multiple themes, his second album came two years later consisting of two compositions again subdivided into several themes, and three years later his third production presents three compositions. Each of them subdivided into three major themes, with three minor minor themes within the major one again. Three songs, three times three major themes, times three again to count in all the minor themes. All of this described in some detail on the artist homepage, but easily heard without that knowledge at hand too, at least as far as the major theme alterations is concerned. The minor ones is of a more subtle nature, but those with a special interest in composing themselves will most likely have lots of fun finding these points of alteration.
As with the previous Purple albums it is the multiple-themed compositions that mostly enables this artist and album to be regarded within a progressive rock context. Although there’s a few indirect and one very direct Pink Floyd reference to be uncovered as well. Layered and fairly sophisticated arrangements does appear now and then too, as do occasional flirts with progressive electronic music and cosmic inspired constructions. Aside from that we’re given an often joyful and mostly smooth and logical run through themes of vastly different stylistic expressions. Classic guitar, ragtime and jazz are all represented, a nice dramatic orchestral inspired overture too. Blues based sequences have their place here as well, as do passages focusing on synth and keyboard soloing. More folk oriented and pastoral landscapes are visited, as are more dramatic ones directly inspired by Spanish music and the flamenco. Neatly tied together by adding or subtracting instrument details, altering pace and intensity and occasionally by utilizing transitional phases or effects. Well made and assembled, within the restraints that a typical one-man band does face obviously.
If you enjoy the idea of (mostly) instrumental, epic length compositions exploring a fairly wide stylistic field without really focusing on every little detail to be recognized as progressive rock Purple’s third album “Body:Mind:Spirit” should be worth inspecting, and in particular if you’re fascinated by or composing material yourself I presume.
My rating: 73/100
