Perth electronic band Pendulum have released Inertia, their first full-length album in 15 years.
The 16-track album features a variety of collaborations and showcases the band’s evolving sound. Produced by Rob Swire and Owen Charles at Pendulum’s London studio, Inertia started taking shape in 2020 as Swire explored what Pendulum means today. The album follows their 2021 Elemental and 2023 Anima EPs, which helped guide their new direction.
“I was basically testing how far we could push Pendulum,” says Rob Swire. “Seeing what we could get away with. I always looked at The Prodigy as the benchmark. They started out as pure rave – breakbeat, hardcore – but they evolved. They became their own sound. You don’t even really associate them with breakbeat anymore. They just are The Prodigy. That’s always what I wanted for Pendulum. I didn’t want to be locked into drum and bass, or metal, or anything. I just wanted to follow whatever felt right. And that’s been the ongoing challenge – finding that middle ground. If it leans too far one way, it doesn’t feel right.”
Pendulum was recently ranked #16 on Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s list of The 50 Greatest Australian Electronic Acts.
“Perth’s Pendulum crashed that dance music hotbed in the 2000s with spectacular results. Formed by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul “El Hornet” Harding, Pendulum had a smash with their independently-released debut LP Hold Your Colour in 2005. Powered by monsters “Tarantula” and “Fasten Your Seatbelt”, the album went platinum in the UK, for 300,000-plus units,” the feature praised”.
“Pendulum could swing into the 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy, or play any major music festival, and in 2005 Swire and Co. nailed a dream collaboration, remixing The Prodigy’s “Voodoo People” — the music video for which is the stuff of nightmares.”
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Pendulum’s Inertia is out now via Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group.
