DnB Pendulum

[Amenbreaker]

I wanna see Pendulum make an opening vocal intro for their sets with the same voice from Blood Sugar, telling the audience how after pendulum disbanded dnb started dying, and now Pendulum have returned to save the day. Then Rob Swire could take to the decks wearing of robes and a crown of thorns. The set could end with the remaining members taking to the stage dressed as Romans and nailing Rob to a crucifix, as Konflict - Messiah blares out in the background.

 

[M&B]

I wanna see Pendulum make an opening vocal intro for their sets with the same voice from Blood Sugar, telling the audience how when pendulum first started doing dnb, dnb started dying, and now Pendulum have returned to cash in on the recent hype. Then Rob Swire could take to the decks wearing of robes and a crown of thorns. The set could end with the island... probably... woooo Ultra Festival...

fixed.

 

[Jwood27]

I wanna see Pendulum make an opening vocal intro for their sets with the same voice from Blood Sugar, telling the audience how after pendulum disbanded dnb started dying, and now Pendulum have returned to save the day. Then Rob Swire could take to the decks wearing of robes and a crown of thorns. The set could end with the remaining members taking to the stage dressed as Romans and nailing Rob to a crucifix, as Konflict - Messiah blares out in the background.

Yes.

 

[Exxcessivve]

I wanna see Pendulum make an opening vocal intro for their sets with the same voice from Blood Sugar, telling the audience how after pendulum disbanded dnb started dying, and now Pendulum have returned to save the day. Then Rob Swire could take to the decks wearing of robes and a crown of thorns. The set could end with the remaining members taking to the stage dressed as Romans and nailing Rob to a crucifix, as Konflict - Messiah blares out in the background.

This was brilliant to imagine. Be a novelist

 

[randomjunglist]

What I've appreciated about Rob's songs and the Swirean projects from Xygen through Knife Party is the raw energy if not the excellent musical writing that is consistently demonstrated in them. Those things are what I'm looking forward to in the new Pendulum reincarnation (plus his voice TBH)–––and given the consistency of those two qualities in his projects, I think is doubtful that he'll have dropped those qualities from his music.

I'm no old-timer junglist, so their music and style don't hit me as heretical. In fact, from a producer and a musician's perspective, I've been rather impressed with much of their material post-HYC (including HYC), even Immersion to a degree–––there were some actually good tunes on there in my opinion.

In word, then, I expect good music from the return, even if not good drum & bass.

By the way, does anyone have a source for Pendulum admitting to using dnb as a springboard for their commercial success?

 

[cstldk]

I was a fan in 2010. I was just (re)discovering dnb when in high school. Not saying I regret it, after all it was a gateway to going much deeper and eventually finding what I've been looking for all this time.
Now, I'd rather they didn't come back. Swire is an evil man. His production skills and ideas are top-notch, but combined with his nasty attitude and a very questionable EDM-oriented fanbase he got stuck with...
just don't.

 

[randomjunglist]

His production skills and ideas are top-notch, but combined with his nasty attitude and a very questionable EDM-oriented fanbase he got stuck with...
just don't.

Very true points here. I can't really justify his attitude myself, and I have yet to meet a tasteful Knife Party fan (even though their work as KP is genuinely outstanding). What's worse is that the revival of Pendulum will make dnb relevant in EDM culture, and then, I predict, you'll get a flood of hype-drunk n00bs in the drum & bass scene, just like the neophyte influx into dance music as a whole caused by dance music's mainstream relevance (fun fact: the subsequent commercial milking of this is what gave us what we know as EDM, bothe culturally and musically).

I was arguing strictly from a musical perspective, and with respect to the music I'm still excited, but I mourn the social repercussions you outline and allude to...

PS, I too am into drum & bass now as a result of rediscovery It's not like i was unaware of the scene, but it was a small thing to me before in my electronic music interest. Indeed, I veritably fled to it after I realized how out of touch I was with dance music's roots being caught up in (for the most part) the EDM scene, which itself was out of touch with those roots (and I, knowing some things, thought myself educated about it in their midst, when in fact I was not).

 

[cstldk]

Just listened to Rihanna - Rube Boy (Rob Swire on production). Either it sounds very similar Slam's intro, or I'm just biased/too weary to judge...
After all, this thread got me kinda excited about the potential new Pendulum material. Still, I can't imagine being a fan again. Unless Swire completely changes his attitude towards music and his audience, which is unlikely.

EDIT: wait a minute.. is that Rob's vocals I'm hearing in the background? I should really go to sleep.

 

[Exxcessivve]

I know it's like 1:30am for most people who use this forum, but Pendulum are playing in a few minutes here http://pendulum.com/?eml=2016March20/3273991/6120841&etsubid=36988815

 

[Exxcessivve]

They're doing that Knife Party shit at the moment to please the Americans. Pendulum in an hour I guess

 

[grubbers]

It's worth watching the stream for all of the eye candy.

 

[Exxcessivve]

It was an okay show. Disappointed by the limited track list and lack of talking about how they're glad to be back or that they have new stuff coming. Felt really like they were just doing a job. Their website is relaunching tomorrow I think so that may yield some information

 

[DeeGun]

they were just doing a job

This.

And it was the ravers who made things like vault or another planet big, because they approved.

I'm really tired of hearing how great this guy is, rudeboy is a fucking joke. Donald Trump wins state after state. People think commercial success is guaranteed quality.

I'd rather listen to a badly pressed hardcore record from a Romford basement, because that guy put his heart and soul into it.

 

[Exxcessivve]

I really admire and respect Swire and everyone else who's contributed to Pendulum but it was just disappointing to see. When you really like an artist/band and they've influenced you you kind of expect them to take their art seriously or to show some real care towards it. I think the context of the performance didn't help either. It was all American girls squealing about a band they've never heard of and guys ripping their shirts off and shouting "KNIIIIFE PARTY DUUUUDE!!".
The presenters before the show were talking about "the final act" without actually talking about Pendulum specifically.
A comeback tour would've been more meaningful I think.

 

[Exxcessivve]

oh and Gareth doing the "clap clap clap clap one two three go! Put your fucking hands uppppp" was weird.
At least they performed I guess

 

[cstldk]

that was... less than I expected. No new material? I'm glad I didn't stay up all night just to watch it.

 

[meowingtons]

I think Ben being sick and unable to attend might've made the main set a lot worse. His presence on stage always helped the band.

The show was a big eye-candy fest, but there sadly wasn't too much substance.

 

[cstldk]

I think Ben being sick and unable to attend might've made the main set a lot worse. His presence on stage always helped the band.

Gareth is the worst MC ever :p

 

[Shotty]

By the way, does anyone have a source for Pendulum admitting to using dnb as a springboard for their commercial success?

Don't think they ever said that.

 

[randomjunglist]

I'd rather listen to a badly pressed hardcore record from a Romford basement, because that guy put his heart and soul into it.

There's really something to that. And at the end of the day, I'd have to agree with the sentiment you imply. Frankly, that's pretty much why I'm here, into drum & bass, is because I see more people like that than in other subgenres. But the production standards on Swire's music is so top notch, and that alone is a draw for me, regardless of how involved his soul was: I appreciate excellence wherever it can be found. And besides, you can't put out top-quality productions (engineering-wise, anyway) without a great deal of dedication. It's that polish that shows me they care, and adds mastery to their craft. And even if they did all that without caring, that would only prove how masterful they are, in putting out flawlessly engineered records offhandedly.

In a word, I'd listen to both a Pendulum record and that badly pressed hardcore record, because they both have something outstanding about them (but I'll admit I like the rough-sounding records better).

It's not that people think commercial success = excellence, but that we evaluate his music regardless of that. I, for one, wouldn't care if Pendulum's page had 5 followers on Soundcloud or the over 50,000 it does; it means nothing to the quality of the music. What matters is the music itself, and I don't think a single person here is saying Swire's acts are good because of the large amount of records they've sold.