In Silico

In Silico is the second full-length studio album by Australian drum and bass band Pendulum, released in Australia and Europe on 12 May 2008 by Warner Music UK, and in America on 13 May 2008 by Atlantic. The album represents a change in sound from the band’s debut album Hold Your Colour, away from drum and bass, incorporating more rock and electronic influences. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart on 18 May 2008. Releases from the album include “Granite”, “Propane Nightmares”, “The Other Side” and “Showdown”.

The expression “in silico”, from which the album title is derived, is used to mean “performed on computer or via computer simulation”, however group member Gareth McGrillen also commented on the way it plays upon Nirvana’s well-known album title In Utero (meaning “born naturally” or “of the uterus”) and thus carries extra shades of meaning related to being “born synthetically”, thus explaining the album’s cover motif of a baby or foetus displayed inside a circular design (likely representing a synthetic ovum), which in turn references the blend of natural and synthesised sounds of the music therein.