30 PENDULUM
“Most labels weren’t into our new direction gold disc mounted on the wall between two huge profess to be music lovers, why would they
though,” admits Rob. “They wanted another speakers. “That’s more sales than there probably want to be negative towards musicians who are
album full of [tracks like] ‘Slam’ and ‘Blood are total forum users, so whatever, someone’s dedicated to doing what they do to the highest
Sugar’”, he says. “Luckily Craig Colman form buying our music.” standard that they can? Even if their sound is not
Atlantic and Corda Marshall from Warners heard what you’re into, that kind of narrow mindedness
it and they were really open to our new sound.” At the risk of sounding trite, never has Oscar goes against the whole ethos of making music. If
Wilde’s famous quote - ‘There’s only one thing people don’t like us being labelled D&B then fine,
“From then on it was all about working on the in life worse than being talked about, and that’s we don’t label ourselves D&B anyway. We just
live show,” Rob continues. “The main thing for not being talked about’ - seemed more apt. make music we like, and judging by how we’re
us was getting the equipment right. We’re such The Pendulum guys have never been shy about doing, lots of other people seem to like it too.”
perfectionists we had to make sure we could defending themselves publicly against criticism,
recreate that highly produced sound when which helps to fuel the controversy surrounding It’s not as if the guys have an awful lot of time
we played live. We didn’t want to sound like them. Do they think it’s maybe helped them just to dwell on the negative anyway. As I’m sitting in
Pendulum in the studio but like The Klaxons a little bit? Rob concedes that perhaps it has, but the studio, I’m aware of bags, boxes and crates
whenever we we’re on the road.” insists it’s not by design. piled up around me – all stuff that’s packed and
ready to go on tour with them when they fly out to
Pendulum’s sound has been the catalyst for much “I just can’t help myself sometimes. For Australia the next day.
criticism and praise alike from both industry example”, Rob pauses for a second to play me a
players and punters. In taking this new direction, track called ‘Mutiny’ from In Silico; “The Dogs On “The tour for this album will last pretty much all
it’s predictable that they’re likely to provoke a lot Acid board are going to HATE this one”, he laughs year,” says Rob. “When we started this whole live
more new debate if past history is anything to go as he hits play. thing we had no idea how expensive it was going
by. I asked Rob whether the consistent negativity to be to take it on the road. You have to pay for
they’ve experienced from the drum & bass scene “Sometimes if we’re writing a tune and I’m shipping equipment, the roadies, the crew... The
was something they were worried about in thinking about how much the haters are going to thing is, it’s necessary because we need to have
releasing this latest album. hate it, it drives us on,” he says as ‘Mutiny’ plays a big enough of a show so that promoters will pay
on in the background. “I almost only put this enough to break us even. The kind of money it
“The reaction from the punters I don’t mind so synth line in there because I knew what would be takes for us to just break even is not the kind of
much,” says Rob. “What really disappoints me said about it”. money you could command as a drum & bass DJ
is the complete lack of support from within – even a really big one”.
the scene. I’ve heard all these crazy conspiracy “Music is supposed to be fun and there’s a danger
theories about us like certain DJs will only play of taking it all too seriously” Rob continues. “If I To Pendulum, it’s a risk worth taking though. Their
Pendulum tunes over any others they’re given, reply to a thread on a forum, I find it funny to see tireless dedication to keep moving forward means
or that because we’re on a big label we’re getting it go nuts and no one can leave it alone”. they’re prepared to take the hits – whether they
favours. It’s like, we built this shit from scratch be financial or personal. In a scene that is so
in Perth, you know? There were times after we “Having said that though, there was this one time clearly defined by what it isn’t, Pendulum have
moved to the UK when we couldn’t afford to eat. where, in response to something I’d written on emerged as pioneers.
No one’s been doing us any favours. one particular forum, we started receiving serious
death threats from some pretty big names in the “If anyone into D&B is confused by the album,”
“There’s a lot of two faced-ness in the scene. I’ll scene. Can you believe it? I mean, then it’s not Rob offers by way of reassurance, “all I can say is
read or hear certain big names slagging us off in funny, then it’s just really sad”. that it makes so much more sense when you hear
interviews, yet whenever I see them out and about us play it live. Besides, I really enjoy it when you
they’re really nice to our face,” he adds. “Look”, he says, fixing my gaze, “there are certain hear an album and you like some tracks and not
people within the scene who seem to think that others, then the more you listen to it, you change
“With regards to the punters, sure we get a lot of everything you do must be ‘for the good of the your mind about what your favourite tracks are.
shit talked about us on forums but that plaque scene’. But the way we see it is we like to make I’ve always loved albums like that.”
says 200,000 plus sales,” he points to a big shiny music and we like to do it well. If other people
K28-30_Pendulum.indd 30 23/4/08 12:45:05
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