Pendulum Members’ Dubstep Project
#KnifePartyRageValley celebrates Australian duo Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen’s debut EP Rage Valley (May 2012), which brought drum & bass production mastery to dubstep/electro house and created festival anthems like “Internet Friends” and “Bonfire.”
From Pendulum to Knife Party
After Pendulum’s 2012 hiatus, members Swire and McGrillen launched Knife Party as a side project exploring dubstep, electro, and moombahton. Their production pedigree (Pendulum’s Immersion, In Silico) brought legitimacy to the nascent brostep scene.
Rage Valley EP
Rage Valley showcased genre versatility:
- “Internet Friends”: Moombahton/dubstep hybrid with meme-worthy “You blocked me on Facebook” sample
- “Fire Hive”: Electro house banger
- “Centipede”: Festival trap precursor
- “Sleaze”: Big room electro
“Internet Friends” became viral hit and established Knife Party’s irreverent, meme-friendly brand.
Haunted House & Abandon Ship
Follow-up EPs 100% No Modern Talking (2012) and Haunted House (2013) included massive singles:
- “LRAD” (2013): Electro house stadium anthem
- “EDM Death Machine” (2013): Satirical take on EDM clichés
- “Boss Mode” (2014): Video game-inspired electro
Debut album Abandon Ship (2014) featured “Begin Again” and cemented their festival headliner status.
Power Glove & Legacy
After 5-year hiatus, Lost Souls EP (2019) marked return. “Power Glove” collaboration with Swedish House Mafia (2022) reunited EDM legends.
Cultural Impact
- Festival staples: Ultra, EDC, Tomorrowland 2012-2019
- Meme culture: “Internet Friends” became early EDM meme anthem
- Production quality: Brought Pendulum-level polish to brostep
- Genre fusion: Blended dubstep, electro, moombahton, trap
- Satire: “EDM Death Machine” parodied mainstage clichés