PREVIEW DRUM A. BASS PENDULUM Carling Academy, Glasgow, Sat 3 May
Pendulum, the drum & bass production trio from Perth, Australia shifted more than 200,000 copies of their debut album Hold your Colour. Like Roni Size, LTJ Bukem and a few others that had gone before them, their new style of 0&8 enjoyed huge crossover appeal, plucking the group from the underground and dropping them into the mainstream arena.
Older-shaking basslines, buzzing psycho synths and the sheer energy of the trademark Pendulum sound struck a chord with indie kids and rock fans who could be found going mental down the front of dancefloors across the country when ‘Slam’, ‘Another Planet‘ or ‘Tarantula’ got dropped by the DJ. With the forthcoming release of their second album In Silico the group have made a significant shift in musical direction, moving away from their 0&8 roots with a new sound geared towards their newfound rock fanbase.
Pendulum now operates as a fully functional live band with guitars, drums and vocals combined on stage with a computer linkup recreating their studio production work. The move from production outfit to live band performance is not a new concept with both Mylo and Calvin Harris rounding up a few scruffy looking musos and hitting the road in the past few years. But for Pendulum it’s more than just a new look. Latest single ‘Propane Nightmares’ is a powerhouse track with huge rock riffs, funereal horns and spooky vocals with only traces of the old Pendulum remaining. Only time will tell as to whether such a huge musical transition can be achieved. It’s highly unlikely that the new album will win back any 0&8 heads but it doesn’t look like the band care too much. Call it rock, call it dance, Pendulum live are pushing future electronic music to the limit. (Richie Meldrum)
PREVIEW III (ZIRONICA ULRICH SCHNAUSS Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Sun 4 May
\"thhout Brrtrsh For‘<:os; r‘adro. UIr'roh Sohnauss' hrand ol transoondont olootronroa y'xouldn't no (rurto so loyoly. In oarly Elils small town (‘torrnany rt unras tho only way (rurntossontrally Englrsh I)£III( s such as Rulo. My Bloody Varontrno and othor pury'oyors ol rnsular. FX podal ho; dronohasod x'xhunsy ladon y'xrth tlro dorogator'y' snooga/rng tag (:otrI: no hoard.
'I always irkod rnusrz: that takos; you to anothor‘ placo' says Sohnauss on tho ono of a Europoan tour that takos rn hrs lust oy'or‘ I. drnour‘gh dato ‘I usod rnusu: as a way of osoapof
Hrs own output suggosts irI<o\.'.'rso Sohnauss' trrst t\.'.'o alhurns far Axial, lraurs; Passing By and tho suhrrrno A Sfrarrgo/‘g Isotafot." Plaoo. tusod laptop gonoratod rnoIodros '.'.rrth tho sort ()1 donso gurtar \.°.'ashos Sohnauss ahsor'hod rn hrs youth. Last yoar's Gooo’ht'o took suoh othoroal ohsossrons to thou |ogr(:a| rrrnrt.
‘I'y'o taIIon rn on'o agarn y'xrth rnor‘o puro oiootr‘onu: thrngsf says Sohnauss. who rnoonlrghts as; koyhoar'drst \.'.'rth Longyrox'.‘ IIT'l)(:-l‘.'.'(:(}l‘. rornrxrng proro(:Is. I'Io hasn't '\.'.'oartod hrn solt oft hrs lrx (:orrrplotoly. nrrnd. Attor (:ontr'rhutrng to a (:ornprlatron of Sloy‘xdry'o (:oy'ors. Sohnauss has ponnod slooyo notos tor a rust roloasod rotrospootryvo hy' Chaptorhouso who sultor‘od par'troularly rnoan rnusro pross Jrhos.
‘It \.'.'asn't ahout tho rnusro] Sohnauss ohsor‘yos. ‘No ono rnvoiyod aotod Irko rnaoho assholos. so thoy had to ho got at rn othor' aways.’
OI hrs noy': rnatorral. Sohnauss says. 'It ‘.'.'as r'oaIIy Irhoratrng to work rnor‘o tradrtronally. >ut now thor'o ar‘o lots of rdoas for tho noxt rooor‘d. | Just nood to Irnd trrno to r'ooord rt.‘ vNorI Cooport
PREVIEW INDIE THE XCERTS Barfly, Glasgow, Tue 6 May
Indro rook rs tho rnusroal oprato of tho rnassos. Rooapturo that lust hrt oostasy' wrth 'I ho X<:orts. a Irosh-Iaood throo—prooo trorn Ahor'doon and Exotor‘. Got Capo Woar' Capo I'Iy Irkod thou luIIy-Ior'rnod, (:aptryatrngly por‘tor‘nrod. smoothly pr‘oduood rndro rook sory'rngs; onough to roloaso thou srnglo on hrs Iahol.
Srngor gurtar‘rst trontrnan Murray Maol ood stops away from hrs oohorts Jordan Srnrth and torn Horon to toll us what sots thorn apart: 'Wo'ro hoayvror‘ than rndro hut Irghtor than hoay'y rnotal. I thrnk wo'ro gurto fortunan rn that poopIo (:onnoot to tho haan gurto oasrly. Ihoy 'ro gurto oxortod to soo a young hand Jurnprng ahout on stago and y'txo'ro a hrt hoay'ror' than what's; around'
Qurto. Nary' a mum? lgonorally' gloy‘xrngr goos hy Without b‘rlly Clyro and Idlowrld horng narno dr'oppod. hut whoro do tho hand's allogranoos lro’? ‘I on'o IdIoerd.' says Maol ood. "Ihoy 'ro rrry Iay'ourrto hand. I thrnk (tollootry'oly thoy 'ro tho hand's layourrto handf Although ho doos adrnrt that thoy 'drd r‘rp oft thty' CIy'ro a hrt.‘
I oay'rng asrl to tho rsornoyyrhat y'alrdl (tornpar'rsons. thrs rs a hand who (tornhrno aspoots ot (:ur‘ront popular sounds yot osohoyy' flash rn tho—pan tad tollowrng and ond up soundrng oxaotly Irlxo thornsoly'os. Ihorr thud srnglo. ‘Do You Fool Salts?" ‘I rston. Don't I’artut', has Just hrt tho o sholyos and noxt thoy'r‘o rotr'oatrng to Walos to wrrto tor tho thurn yyrrth [law I, rrnga rwho produood IdIoerd and l\/Ianr<: Stroot Proatthors. no loss
(latch thorn tourrrrg throughout May or. as Maolood say s, 'Wo'yo got olforod a lot rnoro tostry'als than ya'o thought \.‘.'o would thrs yoar. so. . .' Go on. It’ll trdo you through untrI thorr dohut alhunr. r8u.‘anno Black)
70 THE LIST :w. r I.'..:. . -- ‘