Hold Your Colour: how Pendulum's debut album crossed over

Drum and bass has always had records that travelled beyond its own audience. Pendulum's Hold Your Colour, released on 25 July 2005, is one of the clearest examples, and it introduced many people to the genre for the first time.

The record

Wikipedia describes Hold Your Colour as the debut studio album by the Australian drum and bass band Pendulum, later reissued in 2007 by Breakbeat Kaos. It was mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis in London. The album features collaborations with the DJs Fresh and TC, the MCs Spyda and Fats, vocalists from the bands Freestylers and Halogen, and guitarists from the bands Karnivool and Concord Dawn, together with Peredur ap Gwynedd.

That guest list gives a clue to the album's character. It mixes drum and bass with rock instruments and vocals, and brings in artists from several different scenes.

The singles

Five singles were produced from the album. Slam, paired with Out Here, was the first single by Pendulum to reach the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. A non album single, Blood Sugar, paired with Axle Grinder and released on 18 June 2007, later replaced Another Planet and Still Grey on the reissue because of its popularity. The LP was released as a triple 12 inch, a reminder that vinyl still mattered at the time.

Why it mattered

For many listeners, particularly those who came to dance music through rock and live bands, Hold Your Colour was an accessible doorway. Its guitars and big choruses sounded familiar, while its breakbeats and basses opened a different world. Many people who heard the record went on to explore other drum and bass, including more underground sounds.

That role as a bridge is important. Scenes rely on newcomers, and records that welcome people in help keep a genre healthy. Not every fan of drum and bass loves this album, and that is fine. Its place in the history comes from the audience it reached.

Listening now

If you are curious, listen to the album from start to finish, then compare it with a rolling or liquid record from the same period. The contrast will show you how wide the range of drum and bass already was in 2005.