Artist
Pendulum
Why we feature this artist The rush of a breakbeat, the scale of a band Pendulum make the boundary between drum and bass and rock sound like a useful place to work. The rhythms move quickly, but the songs often have the shape of an anthem, with Rob Swire’s voi…
- From
- Australia
- Sound
- drum and bass, electronic rock, electro house, neurofunk
Start with the music
Tracks to explore
The artist, in context
The story of Pendulum
Why we feature this artist
The rush of a breakbeat, the scale of a band
Pendulum make the boundary between drum and bass and rock sound like a useful place to work. The rhythms move quickly, but the songs often have the shape of an anthem, with Rob Swire’s voice giving the electronic pressure a clear emotional centre. The best records make both sides stronger.
The first wave of colour
The project began in Perth with Swire, Gareth McGrillen and Paul “El Hornet” Harding before developing into a larger live band. Hold Your Colour in 2005 introduced a wide electronic palette, including “Slam” and the title track. The album could be forceful without treating melody as an interruption to the rhythm.
In Silico in 2008 brought the band language further forward. “Propane Nightmares” and “Granite” made the combination more direct, with a sung chorus or a guitar part sharing the same musical argument as the breakbeat.
Keeping both kinds of energy
Immersion in 2010 gave the sound a still broader frame. “Watercolour” is built around an immediate vocal lift, while collaborations and instrumental tracks open different routes through the album. The production is dense, but the strongest hooks remain sharply defined.
The first three albums work well as a listening sequence because the expansion is easy to hear. Pendulum do not simply add rock instruments to an electronic track. They use the momentum of drum and bass to change how a band song can move, and the presence of a band to make the electronic release feel more physical.
Essential releases
Hold Your Colour
The wide, melodic electronic foundation.
In Silico
The live-band and songwriting side moves into the foreground.
Immersion
An expansive meeting of anthemic songs, fast rhythms and detailed production.