Pendulum

Pendulum are a massively popular electronic rock group fusing drum’n’bass with alternative and hard rock, occasionally venturing into other styles such as dubstep and trap. Originating from Perth, Australia but based in the United Kingdom, the band had an ambitious, pop-minded sound from the beginning, comparable to the drum’n’bass equivalent of the KLF’s stadium house. Their 2005 debut album Hold Your Colour was a success, and the group added several members and became a major worldwide touring act. They continued crossing over to rock audiences with 2008′s In Silico and 2010′s U.K. chart-topping Immersion, which incorporated metal and industrial rock influences. Pendulum went on hiatus as the two founding members concentrated on their successful EDM project, Knife Party, but they returned to the stage in 2015 and released the EPs Elemental (2021) and Anima (2023). Formed in Perth in 2002, the group was originally comprised of producers Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen, who worked in tandem with a local DJ named Paul "El Hornet" Harding. One of the team’s initial releases, “Vault,” became a sensation amid the drum’n’bass community in 2003, benefiting greatly from its high-profile placement at the beginning of Andy C’s Nightlife mix album. The track was also licensed for placement on several other CDs, including Adam F and DJ Fresh’s Breakbeat Kaos mix album for Ministry of Sound. Other early productions such as 2003′s “Spiral” and 2004′s “Another Planet” — released by Adam F and DJ Fresh on their Breakbeat Kaos label — were also well-received in the drum’n’bass community. In 2005, Pendulum made their full-length album debut, Hold Your Colour, featuring the singles “Tarantula” and “Slam.” That same year, the group scored a major hit with a remix of the Prodigy classic “Voodoo People,” which broke into the Top 20 of the U.K. singles chart. All of this success in 2005 culminated with an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 that arrived late in the year. The group released a couple of one-off singles — “Painkiller” (2006; featuring the Freestylers) and “Blood Sugar” (2007) — and added emcee Ben Mount, guitarist Peredur ap Gwynedd, and drummer Paul Kodish as full-time bandmembers. Pendulum signed to Warner Music U.K. and Atlantic in the U.S. and made their major-label debut with 2007′s “Granite,” a U.K. Top 30 hit. “Propane Nightmares” (2008), their second release on Warner, was an even bigger hit, breaking into the Top Ten and setting the stage for their second full-length album, In Silico (2008). Spawning four singles, In Silico went on to reach platinum status in the U.K., as well as just missing out on the U.K. number one album chart spot. Live at Brixton Academy was released on CD and DVD in 2009, and KJ Sawka replaced Kodish as the group’s drummer. Returning to the studio, Pendulum set about writing their third album, Immersion. Released in 2010, the album shot straight to the top of the U.K. albums chart, and featured collaborations with the Prodigy’s Liam Howlett, Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, and Swedish metallers In Flames. In support of the album, Pendulum embarked on a world tour, playing two sold-out shows at London’s Wembley Arena and headline slots at some of the U.K.’s largest festivals. At the end of 2011, Pendulum took a break from live performing, with Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen focusing their energy on their electro-house/dubstep side project Knife Party. In 2015, as Pendulum celebrated the tenth anniversary of their debut album, they reunited for a DJ set, then performed as a full band during the 2016 Ultra Music Festival, followed by other festival appearances. The group also announced their departure from Warner in order to focus on their own imprint, Earstorm. A career-spanning vinyl box set, The Complete Works, was released in 2018, along with their first remix album. The Reworks saw the group’s greatest-hits and personal favorites reworked by a selection of some of the biggest names in drum’n’bass in addition to Skrillex, Moby, and even prog-metal maestro Devin Townsend. Pendulum released the tracks “Driver” and “Nothing for Free” in 2020. Both appeared on the 2021 EP Elemental, which was featured a collaboration with Hybrid Minds and was followed by a remix EP. In 2023, the group released Anima, another EP, which featured guest appearances by metalcore group Bullet for My Valentine and trap-metal rapper Scarlxrd. The group also released the short documentary Pendulum: The New Era, and covered Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” for Australian radio station Triple J’s Like a Version segment. ~ Jason Birchmeier & Rich Wilson