Big Space Premiere Their Broad, Adventurous Album, ‘The Pendulum Effect’

One of the advantages of instrumental rock is a certain license of freedom, which Big Space has taken full advantage of on The Pendulum Effect. This is the brand new full-length album from the Canadian instrumental trio. The follow-up to 2021’s In Relation To, the record broadens the jazz-rock hybrid sound that they have been honing for several years now. This follows the group’s last single release, “Check Upstairs.”

When setting out to record the album, the members of the band had clear intentions. They wanted to expand their sound and the possibilities of their music. This would encompass a very open-minded approach with less of a focus on genre and more of a focus on fullness. That’s why you will hear forays into many different sounds, with riff-driven parts, atmospheric post-rock textures, and modern jazz ballads.

Discussing the album, the band states:

“When we started working on this record, we knew we wanted to push the band further in both directions that have always shaped our sound. We’re very connected to contemporary jazz and improvisation, but also to heavier progressive and alternative music. Instead of choosing between those sides, we wanted the album to fully explore both.

“Recording live together is the core of the band for us. A lot of the music leaves room for improvisation, so every take evolves differently depending on how we react to each other in the moment. We wanted to make sure we captured that live energy.”

One of the primary goals of The Pendulum Effect was to make it a very comprehensive listening experience. You don’t have to be a decades-long connoisseur of jazz music to enjoy this album. The sound of the record is rooted in jazz improvisation. But that extends into the technicalities of progressive rock and the atmosphere of instrumental post-rock. Part of the winning blueprint with Big Space is that they are not married to one approach. They recorded The Pendulum Effect live in the studio with no overdubs. This enabled them to capture all of the subtleties and real-time interactions between guitarist Grant King, bassist Ian Murphy, and drummer Ashley Chalmers. It’s an atmosphere that promotes improvisation, which enables every take to head in different directions depending on the moment.

The essence of jazz has always been closely connected to its subtleties and live experience, and Big Space has captured that magic on The Pendulum Effect. With both hard-hitting and delicate moments, the record is, if anything, musically adventurous. It’s an expansive album with colour and detail, reflective of a band tapping into the full range of its sound.

Big Space ‘The Pendulum Effect’ album artwork