Pendulum

When most Drum n' bass artists cite Hip hop and funk as major influences, Perth-born trio Pendulum are an exception, name-quoting Led Zeppelin and AC/DC as early inspiration.

Paul Harding’s first musical venture was as a drummer in a successful local rock band. He was the first one to be bit by the drum and bass bug, first through the experimental breaks of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, then by hearing the mid-nineties thriving sounds of the UK scene. He took on Djing and quickly became a fixture of the Perth circuit.

In the same way, Rob Swire and Gareth Mc Grillen’s musical journey started in a metal band. They shared a passion for music production and a healthy curiosity. One night, in 2001, they turned up in a local club to check the DJ set of Fresh and Maldini – from London’s Bad Company famous drum and bass crew – and got instantly hooked on the powerful sound of the music and its complex structure.

Teaming up with Paul, they started creating tracks as Pendulum and testing them in local clubs. One of these plates, ‘Vault’, received rapturous reception. Its impact went well beyond the Perth scene when veteran Metalheadz producer, Doc Scott, signed it for his label 31 Records in the UK. Previously responsible for launching the career of luminary producers such as Optical, Doc Scott had once again struck gold. Pendulum barely realised the effect their music had on the UK scene, till Rob caught an Ed Rush DJ set at London club The End broadcast over the internet.

The impact of ‘Vault’ on the worldwide drum and bass scene was devastating. Hailed as a classic, it won ‘Best Single’ as the 2003 Knowledge Awards and propelled the incredulous Pendulum, still based on the other side of the world, into the limelight. Releases on Renegade Hardware, Timeless, Function, Uprising and Freak followed.

As impressed as all his pairs by ‘Vaults’ Fresh contacted the trio during their first visit to London in 2003. When he formed a new imprint with Adam F, Breakbeat Kaos, Pendulum were the first act to be signed. Their debut release for the label, ‘Another Planet’ (February 2004) became even bigger than ‘Vaults’, getting great Radio 1 support from Zane Lowe and Mary-Anne Hobbs, reaching number 43 in the National Charts and number One in the dance charts on the strength of a vinyl only release. It has sold in excess of 20,000 copies worldwide to date. In less than the year, Pendulum had become the biggest phenomenon drum and bass had ever known.

Following their relocation to London, and the release of a couple of high profile remixes for Virus and Ram records, Pendulum approached the daunting task of recording their eagerly anticipated debut album with a confidence only matched by their ambition. Inspired by a wide range of musical influences, they made a point in keeping an open-mind to produce a varied collection that challenges the boundaries of a scene that has for too long limited its appeal to its pairs. ‘Hold Your Colour’ gathers on one album grandiose cinematic moments, floor-killer cuts, smooth and soulful tracks and breakbeat monsters tied together by pristine production and a sensibility that gives it a wide appeal.

‘Hold Your Colour’ might stand proudly alongside Goldie’s ‘Timeless’ and Roni Size ‘New Forms’ as a ground-breaking, genre-defining moment, but its appeal goes even further: Pendulum had just completed their album when they were asked to remix The Prodigy’s classic ‘Voodoo People’. Over 10 years ago, ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’ became the missing link between the rave scene and the global music stage. Could Pendulum, with their massive hooks, fat rock riffs and huge, stadium-friendly atmospheres taken live on stage in the near future, follow in their path?